250 app-based taxi tender in Istanbul: Total cost for 29 years will exceed 9 million Liras

Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi is issuing a tender for the rights to 250 'App-Based Taxi Transportation' units that will accept passengers exclusively through digital applications. Applications will close on 20 July 2026, and the tender will be held on 21 July 2026. In this new system, rights holders will purchase the license not indefinitely, but as a 29-year operating permit.

The estimated bid price determined for each taxi right has been set at 6 million 125 thousand Liras. With the addition of 20 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) to this amount, approximately 7 million 350 thousand Liras will be paid solely for the license usage right. However, when the vehicle itself, smart taximeters, and other mandatory expenses are factored in, the total cost of starting operations is expected to exceed 9 million Liras.

The new app-based taxis will differ from classic yellow taxis in both design and operational method. These vehicles, which will be white at the front and fade to yellow at the back, will only be able to respond to calls from contracted mobile applications such as BiTaksi, Uber, and Yandex Go. It will be strictly forbidden for them to pick up waiting or hailing passengers from the street, and this rule will be closely monitored via smart taximeter systems.