Esenler Coach Terminal

Esenler Coach Terminal (Turkish: Esenler Otogarı), is the central and largest bus terminus for intercity bus service in İstanbul, Turkey. Although the terminus is located in Bayrampaşa district it is named after Esenler district, which is closer.

Esenler Coach Terminal

Esenler Otogarı
A view from the upper level
General information
LocationBayrampaşa, Istanbul
Coordinates41.03987°N 28.89413°E / 41.03987; 28.89413
Platforms324
Construction
Platform levels4
History
Opened1994
Passengers
daily600,000+[1]
Services
Intercity coaches, İETT city buses
Intercity busses at Esenler Terminus.
The terminal under rain

The multi-story terminal houses 450-500 permanent parking lots for buses and over 1,000 temporary ones. Average total bus traffic per day is about 15,000 buses. It also has a capacity of 600,000 passengers a day with a number of employed people around 3.000 to 5.000 in the terminal.

Around one million passengers pass through it every day.[2]

History

1994-1999

In 1980, considerations started to build a new terminus on the European side of Istanbul. Since the Topkapı bus terminus was becoming increasingly crowded. In 1987, the construction of the new terminus started. In 1994, the terminus entered service.[2] The cost of the structure was $140 million.[1]

2000's-present

In 2021, the Greater Istanbul Bus Terminal was transferred to İSPARK, a subsidiary of the metropolitan municipality. With the change of the operator of the bus station, a large-scale renovation work was started. The renovated bus station got rid of its old ruin appearance.

Location

The terminus is situated on the European side of İstanbul, in Bayrampaşa district. It occupies 242,000 m2 (2,600,000 sq ft), which makes it the largest bus terminus in southeastern Europe and in Turkey. It is the third largest in the world. The terminus has 324 platforms.[2]

Services

There are bus services from Esenler Bus Station to all parts of Turkey. At the same time, bus companies operating in the bus station have free shuttles throughout Istanbul. There are coaches arriving and departing from almost all cities of Turkey. There are also coaches that service to neighbouring countries and the rest of Europe.

Connections

Criticism

Until the renovation, the bus terminal was especially criticized for its chaotic and ugly architecture.[2][3] It also had constant bus congestion within itself. The security of the terminus was a constant worry, too.

References
  1. "İşletme ve Fiziki Kapasite". Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  2. Tanış, Tolga (1999-09-27). "En büyük gecekondu". Hürriyet. Retrieved 2012-11-14.
  3. "Bu otogar İstanbul'a yakışıyor mu?". Archived from the original on 2012-12-17.
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