Sports

Carrying more than 2 million passengers every day, Metro Istanbul aims to move its passengers more for sustainable transportation, urban efficiency and desires to improve quality of their lives. This is why, Metro Istanbul hosts many sports events in order to encourage the citizens to gain the habit of healthy living and doing sports, to help them acquire internal discipline and to contribute to their goal-centricity.

Metro Istanbul is Now Bicycle Friendly

Metro Istanbul has expanded the limits of travel by bicycle with the recently made arrangement. Accordingly, bicycle users will be able to travel on the last car of the trains with foldable bicycles throughout the day and they can travel with non-foldable bicycles 1 hour longer than the old arrangement, without any additional charge.

While foldable bicycles can be carried without a cover at any time of the day, travel time is increased by 1 hour with non-foldable bicycles. Accordingly, non-foldable bicycles will be able to travel at the last car anytime without paying an additional fee, except the rush hours between 07.00-09.00 and 17.00-20.00 when the passenger density is high.

Ozgur Soy, General Manager of Metro Istanbul, emphasised that rail systems are the most environmentally friendly transportation systems in the world. He also stated that thanks to the rail systems, approximately 450 thousand fewer vehicles enter the traffic every day in Istanbul and that means saving nearly 2,000 barrels of oil per day. He stated that while they are working to make Istanbul a bicycle-friendly city, they want to encourage this in public transportation as well, and they covered a significant distance in this sense with the bicycle-friendly car application.

A First in Istanbul's Metro; Indoor Bicycle Parking Areas Practice

Metro Istanbul, in collaboration with IMM Department of Transportation, launched a bicycle park practice at metro stations in Istanbul. The practice, which first started at the Altunizade Station of M5 Uskudar-Cekmekoy Metro Line, will be expanded according to the feedback of the residents of Istanbul.

Metro Istanbul provides public transportation services with rail systems, which is the most environmentally friendly and low-emission mode of transportation compared to the transportation modes that consume fossil energy. Metro Istanbul has been working for a long time to support bicycle use and aims to provide integration with transportation modes to achieve sustainable urban mobility with an inter-modal approach in urban transportation and to encourage a healthier and zero-emission life. Finally, Metro Istanbul cooperated with IMM Department of Transportation in order to facilitate and expand the integration of bicycle transportation modes with metros. In this context, a pilot scheme commenced for the bicycle park practice in the metros of Istanbul.

The indoor bicycle parking application, which started with the establishment of 5 parking areas, each with a capacity of 2 bicycles, at the Altunizade Station of M5 Uskudar-Cekmekoy Metro Line, has been offered to the use of Istanbulites. Metro Istanbul aims to expand the practice to other stations depending on the positive feedbacks from the residents of Istanbul.

Morning Sports

Metro Istanbul aims to lead Istanbulites a more active life and increase the motivation of employees, reduce work stress, strengthen communication between the colleagues and create a sense of belonging. This is why morning sports event began to be practiced in the company of professional athletes at Metro Istanbul Headquarters in Esenler, where the residents of the district can also participate free of charge. In this context, adults residing in Esenler performed morning sports in the company's Headquarters in Esenler, in the open area between 07.15 and 08.00 with a group of 35 people accompanied by professional trainers.

Metro Istanbul initiated Morning Sports Event as an open-air event, which is a pilot scheme in Esenler Compound started in September 2021 for the first time. Metro Istanbul aims to expand the scope of the practice to different locations and to continue in the spring and summer months by traditionalising the event.

Show of Power in Istanbul's Metro

Supporting sports and active life, Metro Istanbul hosted the Powerlifting Tournament on February 15th to 19th. On the last day of the tournament, where a total of 300 athletes, 25 of whom were women, competed for 5 days in the event, national athlete Cenk Kocak equalled his own record by lifting 400 kilograms.

In order to support sports and athletes, Metro Istanbul opened the doors of Yenisahra Promotion Centre to the Powerlifting Tournament organised by the Powerlifting Strongman and Street Workout Federation on February 15th to 19th. During the 5-day tournament, a fierce struggle took place between 300 athletes, 25 of whom were women.

Athletes who ranked in the tournament held at the Yenisahra Station Promotion Centre on M4 Kadikoy-Tavsantepe Metro Line will participate in the World Powerlifting Championship to be held in Minsk, Belarus. Yakup Unal broke the record of Turkey, which was 260 kilograms, by lifting 290 kilograms in the tournament where there was a fierce struggle between the athletes. On the last day of the tournament, where the medals were presented to the top-ranking athletes, national athlete Cenk Kocak equalled his own record by lifting 400 kilograms. In the women's category, Asude Dilagah Dayioglu also lifted a weight of 175 kilograms and became the champion in all weight categories.