The Istanbul transportation card is a prepaid magnetic electronic card similar to bank cards, and it is one of the latest public transportation cards currently in circulation in Istanbul and the most widespread. It is mentioned that this Istanbul transportation card is an alternative card to the “Akbil” card that looks like a key, which is no longer circulating in the markets in Istanbul in Turkey.
The Istanbul transportation card saves 35% of the monthly transportation expenses, and when a repeated use of the same transportation with a difference of less than two hours, a discount will be obtained up to 60%.
Learn with us about the advantages of the Istanbul Public Transportation Card and how to use it.
Learn also about the public transportation in Istanbul and their fees through this article
Advantages of the Istanbul Public Transportation Card:
- Ease of purchase and circulation, as you do not need to apply for it as it is in the blue card, but they can be bought from any street shop “koshk” dedicated to selling cards, and these “koshk” are widely spread in Istanbul.
- A specific amount is not required for charging the transportation card, but it is possible to charge it with any amount suitable for consumption
- The Istanbul transportation card can be exchanged between several individuals, as it doesn’t carry personal data or a personal picture of the owner of the card, as is the case in the blue card, the Istanbul transportation card can also be used for several people at the same time, but separately.
- The discount on the Istanbul transportation card increases whenever the rides are repeated within a period of 10 minutes to two hours from the previous ride, and that is up to 5 rides.
What are the transportation that you can use the Istanbul transportation card with?
Public transportation belonging to the municipality in Istanbul, such as:
Buses, metro, trams, metrobus, cable cars, voncler, and municipality ferries. And the ferries that partly belong to the municipality with the number 100. The Istanbul transportation card can also be used for ferries destined for the Princess Islands.
Where is the Istanbul transportation card sold and what is its price?
The Istanbul transportation card is sold in koshk near metro, tram stations, bus stops, and inside the stations.
The price of the Istanbul transportation card is 7 Turkish liras (without balance), and after purchasing the card, it can be charged from the same koshk that sells it, or from the charging machines (that are made specifically for these cards) inside the metro stations with any amount that suits your consumption.
After using the Istanbul transportation card and not needing it again, you can return it to any of the sales stalls, and get its price (7 pounds) refunded.
How to make an Istanbul public transportation card?
- Upon entering the station, you will find traffic devices that do not allow people to pass until after having the cards passed.
- Pass the card in the place designated for it, and only one person will be allowed to cross. As for buses, there are small devices next to the driver to pass the cards with them.
NB:
- In the event that the Istanbul transportation card is forgotten or it has no more balance in it, you can borrow another person’s card and use it and pay the fare amount for this person. The Istanbul transportation card is characterized by the possibility of using it for several individuals as it does not carry personal data for the card owner, such as the “blue card”.
- It is not required to use a transportation card for children under 6 years old.
Learn more about Istanbul transportation card in Arabic
