Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) President Ekrem İmamoğlu has restarted the Dudullu-Bostancı metro line, the construction of which was halted during the previous administration. Emphasizing that Istanbulites have suffered a “loss of comfort” due to the delays of 9 similar lines, İmamoğlu said, “Right now, 2,8 million more people would be traveling on all these lines. Since the right work was not done at the right time, with the right financing model, and with the right management approach, we are unable to serve a number or people equivalent to almost 3 million people per day. Just think about how much Istanbul’s traffic would have been relieved today. Just calculate the time Istanbul spent in traffic under that stress and the losses we continue to experience in terms of environmental health, money in our pockets, human health, and mental health.” Drawing attention to the fact that there was also a great financial loss arising from the delays, İmamoğlu said, “Due to the delays of 9 rail systems, the cost to Istanbulites and the national economy is exactly 8,7 billion liras according to the increase in the dollar exchange rate. In other words, an extra 9 billion TL will come out of our budget.” İmamoğlu stated that they plan to put the line, which has been re-constructed, into operation at the end of 2021.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) started the construction of the Dudullu-Bostancı metro line on February 26, 2016. Work came to a standstill in March 2019. İBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu, who took office after the 23 June 2019 elections, put on the front lines of his first actions to start the stopped metro line works from the previous administration. In this context, İmamoğlu focused on finding financial resources. Work on the Dudullu-Bostancı metro line also resumed after the financial resources were found. The ceremony titled "Dudullu-Bostancı Metro Line Construction Works Restart" was held at the Kayışdağı Station construction site of the line. At the ceremony, İmamoğlu was accompanied by IMM Secretary General Can Akın Çağlar, Deputy Secretary General Orhan Demir, President's Consultant and Spokesperson Murat Ongun and Rail Systems Department Head Pelin Alpkökin.
“IF THE SYSTEM WAS GOOD PLANNING, IT WILL BE OPENED FROM MULTIPLE”
Speaking at the ceremony, İmamoğlu briefly said: “During the selection process, we talked about the importance we will give especially to the rail systems. As soon as we took office, we started our studies to make a determination of the process related to rail systems and how we can take measures quickly and how we can act. One of the most important issues here was the issue of finance. With our intense contacts, we mobilized the constructions that had stopped for more than two years, by providing certain resources. As a result, our construction started again on six lines. Of course, we continue our work to finish the fastest way. Unfortunately, activating the tender lines before their processes are completed or matured means loss of time and cost increase. From the beginning, if the system was planned well, the process was operated well, we would be on a metro line that was already opened and put into service. I wish we had seen this when we arrived; especially if the foundation of 8 lines was laid, the project was solved, the financing problem was solved, the tender was put out so, and the processes could be completed without a loss in terms of end date, neither our institution nor our country nor the companies. I wish none of these constructions had stopped. Nobody enjoys it. ”
“OWNER OF THIS KIND OF WORKS; OUR STATE, OUR NATION ”
“I say it everywhere: Our state, our nation, is the owner of such works. So all of us who have lost money here are all of us. The projects do not belong to a party, a person of a time, or a mayor. Community. With these feelings, we look at the process. I express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed. I say, 'Good luck there'. With these feelings, I look at all people, all managers. However, the delays of several years for our 16 million, construction processes that have stopped for almost two years or even more, have unfortunately caused serious losses. In the past management period, when the first tender was made, if all these were simultaneous plans, these processes would have kept up. Unfortunately, the opening targets on 9 metro lines did not meet the targets unfortunately. Let the targets hold; things stopped for years. And in this sense, we also paid huge costs. Let me give you an example as follows: This line, which we are struggling to restart right now, will be put into service exactly 15 months ago, in March-April last year. Believe us, we would be happy. Believe us, we would be proud. And it would be a pleasure for our people to enjoy it here. ”
“THE SOCIETY NEEDS TO BE INFORMED”
“I want to talk a little bit about the other lines. The society needs to be informed. For example, the Rumelihisarüstü-Aşiyan Funicular Line would have been put into service 13 months ago. However, as of last month, we started the process of starting the construction site, which has been standing for almost 1,5 years. The lines on which we started stopped construction sites; Ümraniye - Ataşehir - Göztepe Line, Çekmeköy - Sancaktepe- Sultanbeyli Line, Sarıgazi - Taşdelen - Yenidogan Line, Kirazlı - Halkalı Line, Kaynarca - Pendik - Tuzla subways were all completed and put into service 4 months ago and would contribute to the transportation of our people. We would be very happy about that, but it didn't happen. Let me tell you something more painful: If it were normal planning, we would be opening the Mahmutbey - Bahçeşehir - Esenyurt line next month. However, it has been tendered but does not even have a project right now. In other words, we took over such a line as it had never started or took over its tender. Nothing is there right now. "
“IF THE LINES WERE OPENED, THE TRANSPORTATION OF 2,8 MILLION PEOPLE WILL BE PROVIDED”
“In all these lines, 2,8 million people would be traveling more than a day. Currently, 2,8 million people are unable to provide transportation because there is no metro line. So we want to face the size of the number. Since the right job is not done at the right time, with the right financing model, with the right management approach, we are unable to serve a number of people, corresponding to almost 3 million people a day. Imagine; How comfortable Istanbul traffic would be today? Calculate the loss of time spent in traffic in that stress and at the same time in terms of both environmental health and money in our pocket, human health and mental health. ”
“THERE IS A COST INCREASE OF UP TO 100 PERCENT”
“When we look at the economic losses due to the failure of these lines, some of which were to be put into service last year and some of them to be opened this year, and especially the increases related to some construction construction costs due to the increase in inflation, we faced a cost increase of nearly 100 percent. These also have such a dimension. Let me give you a figure like this: According to the increase in the dollar rate due to the delay of the nine-rail system, whose total cost is over 17,3 billion, the cost of this is 8,7 billion lira for Istanbulites and the national economy. In other words, an extra 9 billion TL will be raised from our budget. We talk about our own money. This is the real economy. ”
“THE CASH OF THE BAŞAKŞEHİR-KAYAŞEHİR METRO IS CUTTING FROM US IN ADVANCE”
“I say 8 metro lines, but 9 lines actually. One of them is the Başakşehir-Kayaşehir metro line. Why will I mention this? We write, we say; 'This line has a process problem with credit financing. Let's overcome this problem together. Support us as our state, our state's public institutions, as public banks. Provide long-term credit. Let's do it here. ' This is what we say. 'No. We will do this. ' Well, you do. But how will you do it? You will make your money in advance by cutting it out of our payments. In other words, this has nothing to do with public morals and public law. In this way, the supposed transfer of the Başakşehir-Kayaşehir metro line was taken. But let the people of Istanbul know that the cash in advance is deducted from us. So managing a system is not a solution. All these heads, these understandings must change. ”
“OUR WORK CONTINUES AT 10 DIFFERENT POINTS”
“At the end of the day, today Dudullu-Bostancı is an important line that we value very much. It has many delayed problems. The project is actually a project that has been stopped twice. In total, these processes caused a delay of nearly 2 years. There is a cost of 2,5 million Euros plus VAT. When we look back at the feasibility figures, when we calculate the socio-economic loss in the cost of our metro, we continue to manage the process with a loss of nearly 558 billion liras. Before this period that started in February 2,5 but was stopped for various reasons and came to the present day, as soon as we took office, there were areas with very serious collapse risks and threats, especially on the Dudullu-Bostancı metro line. In this sense, we carried out some technical studies. The works of this line of ours, which is 2016 kilometers and has 14.3 stations, started 13 days ago, on June 23, by determining a roadmap regarding financing. Today, we will actually hold the ceremony together regarding the ninth of the 17 metro vehicles being lowered into the tunnel. As of today, the completion rate of the metro is at 10 percent. Our work continues at exactly 65 different points. The number of people working on the project has reached 10 since the day we started it quickly. Our friends predict that this number will reach 500 after Eid al-Adha. Our desire is to put this line into operation at full speed by the end of 800. We are managing an intensive program and work for this. This metro line, which will serve the districts of Maltepe, Kadıköy, Ataşehir, Ümraniye, will carry 2021 thousand passengers per hour in both directions. The fact that it passes through both densely populated residential areas and densely populated industrial sites is a sign that we have a very active line. The project also meets with 90 rail systems and the sea. It is a very valuable line that brings together and connects the Istanbul lines on the east-west axis with the north-south axis.
“WE HAVE A VERY REPUTABLE STAFF”
"Unless, then all my friends who will put his labor, which confront this I'm talking about the real, in the sense it sets out a road map out of financial realities and public administration in Turkey, in the direction of using public money, not take a decision today, in the direction to plan the future, all He will analyze the process with an understanding that keeps his money well, uses it correctly, uses it correctly, starts and finishes a project without wasting a penny. We are a reputable city, a reputable government. We have a very prestigious staff from A to Z. Here, the desire of the contractor companies makes me happy. With this holistic work, I hope that we will open this line to the service of Istanbul residents next year, at the end of the year. I present my gratitude to all my friends who have already contributed and will pass. ”
After İmamoğlu's speech, the 10th vehicle, which was brought to the warehouse area of the Üsküdar-Ümraniye-Çekmeköy subway line, was brought down to the tracks on the live broadcast from 9 subway vehicles produced for the Dudullu-Bostancı line.
