Istanbul launches 7 more ferry lines between Asia and Europe

Starting on Tuesday, more ferries will hit the water in the Marmara Sea and Bosporus in Istanbul as the city expands its maritime transportation network. Seven new ferry lines, carrying passengers between the Asian and European sides of the city of more than 15 million people, will start operations. The transportation coordination center of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) has approved the launch of new lines last month, Daily Sabah writes.

Lines will be available to passengers between Kadıköy on the Asian side and Eyüpsultan on the European side, between Avcılar and Kadıköy, Avcılar and Bostancı, between Maltepe district and the Princes’ Islands (Büyükada, Heybeliada, Kınalıada and Burgazada), between Çengelköy and Kabataş, Beşiktaş-Kabataş-Karaköy-Kasımpaşa-Sütlüce-Eyüpsultan and Bostancı-Caddebostan-Moda-Kadıköy-Kabataş.

Prices vary for the lines, while the most expensive will be the Avcılar-Bostancı line, which will charge $1.7 (TL 31.8). The lowest fee will be TL 9.4, between Çengelköy and Kabataş.

The Kadıköy-Kasımpaşa-Fener-Sütlüce-Eyüpsultan line, whose travel time is around 50 minutes, will operate once every hour, with a ferry that has a capacity of 400 passengers. Beşiktaş-Kabataş-Karaköy-Kasımpaşa-Sütlüce-Eyüpsultan line will operate 12 times daily.

Passengers will have a 50% refund for all transfers to and from ferry lines and other means of mass transportation operated by the municipality.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu had pledged to boost sea travel options for the city and recently introduced sea taxis that would operate across the city.

Though Istanbul has the biggest aviation hub in the country and sits at the crossroads of land journeys between Europe and Asia, maritime passenger transportation run by the municipality is limited to between the Asian and European sides, as well as to the Princes' Islands of the country's most populated city, while several companies offer passenger-only ferries for travel to other islands dotting the Marmara, along with Yalova, a province located between Bursa and Istanbul.