Cumhur Alliance Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Presidential candidate Murat Kurum announced his projects that will rescue Istanbul from a 5-year period of hiatus during a live broadcast program he participated in. Drawing attention to the traffic issue in the city, Kurum also delivered good news about a new metro.
NOW ISTANBUL IS ONLY ISTANBUL
Highlights from Kurum's speech are as follows:
"We declare that we will not be involved in issues not on the agenda of Istanbulites, and we will continue this attitude. The name of our campaign is Now Istanbul Only Istanbul. We will exhibit this approach everywhere. We do not expect appreciation from a municipality that we visit during their idle times. Our people will give the necessary answer on March 31. The current administration will also benefit from these services. When we look back at Istanbul, did we not see the new residences built? We said we would build 2 major tunnels on both sides, and they did it, didn't we see? The suffering and chaos are evident. We will focus only on Istanbul and its issues." "OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE THE PROBLEMS OF ISTANBULITES"
Istanbulites look at how quickly they can get home with the metro. Young people are interested in who can prepare this infrastructure faster. Because the agenda of the current administration is different, they are chasing controversy. Istanbulites expect a management will to manage the resources of Istanbul correctly from us. They expect us to provide these services with real municipal governance. Our focus should be the problems of Istanbulites."
"TRAFFIC DURATION WILL DECREASE"
We will reduce the traffic duration from 64 minutes to 39 minutes. We provide these data based on projects worked on by scientists. When you say it's unattainable, you are doing injustice to scientists working on it. Our team is concerned, we focus on the problems of Istanbul. In 2019, the average traffic speed was 60 km. The travel time was 45 minutes."
"RAIL SYSTEM WILL DOUBLE IN 5 YEARS"
In the first stage, we will double the rail systems in the first 5 years. We will do the most urgent and prioritized things in a multifunctional and detailed way. Competent work is needed to do something. Half of the municipality has changed, and new ones have come to the other half. To be able to do this, you need to work with these cadres. Were all those laid off from this job bad?
THE FIRST METRO LINE YENIKAPI-SEFAKOY
We think in a multifunctional and detailed way. Our first metro line will be Yenikapi-Incirli-Sefakoy. This is always a place with traffic. Our second line after Sefakoy is the other line that extends to Beylikduzu Tuyap. Over time, we will present the line where the metrobus is as a beautiful project to the people of Istanbul. In the 10th year, there will no longer be a need for the metrobus.
When we do public transportation, we must think about the outskirts of the city. We must increase the quality of life here so that people can live more comfortably. When we provide this service in Sultanbeyli and Silivri, we will have considered the outskirts of Istanbul. A holistic view. Sabiha Gokcen Kurtkoy is also a very important metro line for us."
"WE ALWAYS KEPT OUR WORD"
If I don't keep the promises I made, I will not run again. I have always kept the promises I made until now. As we promised on February 6, we started the construction of 180,000 houses in 3 months for our brothers and sisters affected by the earthquake. If we promise, we are the people who keep our word. Actions speak louder than words. We always kept our word. In the first 5 years, we will reduce traffic congestion, and in 10 years, traffic issues will no longer be on the agenda.
