Vehicle mobility in Türkiye triples over two decades

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has seen a dramatic increase in road transportation activity over the last 22 years, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

The number of registered vehicles rose from 8.5 million in 2001 to approximately 32 million today, while the average travel speed has more than doubled, from 40 kilometers per hour to nearly 90 kilometers per hour, he said.

Uraloğlu said that the number of passenger cars per 1,000 people in Türkiye reached 194, underscoring the growing reliance on personal vehicles.

He added that traffic volumes have shown consistent growth, particularly in metropolitan transit corridors and key regional routes such as the Black Sea Coastal Highway.

The busiest areas included the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, which handles around 240,000 vehicles daily, and the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, with 190,000 vehicles per day, according to the minister.

Sections of the Istanbul–Tekirdağ state road and highways connecting to Istanbul Airport also exceeded a daily traffic average of 100,000 vehicles, while parts of the Istanbul–Kocaeli corridor recorded over 70,000 daily vehicle movements.

According to the General Directorate of Highways (KGM) 2024 traffic volume statistics, Türkiye’s road infrastructure has kept pace with rising demand.

The country expanded its divided highway network from 6,101 kilometers to 29,771 kilometers, connecting all 77 provinces via safer and more efficient roads, said Uraloğlıu.

“This expanded network now accounts for 44 percent of the total road system, while 84 percent of all road traffic is carried on these upgraded routes,” he added.