Traffic, narrow streets slow Istanbul ambulance response times

Traffic congestion, narrow streets and improperly parked vehicles are slowing ambulance response times in some Istanbul neighborhoods, particularly in the Fatih and Beyoğlu districts, the city’s ambulance service chief said.

Murat Lafçı, chief physician of the Istanbul Ambulance Service, said average response times are eight to 8.5 minutes in urban areas and 13 to 15 minutes in rural areas.

Lafçı said Istanbul’s emergency medical services respond to between 2,500 and 3,000 emergencies daily, in addition to carrying out nearly 500 interhospital patient transfers.

The city has 141 emergency medical stations on the Asian side and 238 on the European side, along with six mobile teams, he said.

Calls received through the 112 Emergency Call Center are assessed by medical personnel at the command center, which dispatches the most suitable and nearest ambulance crew to the scene through a tablet-based system.

Lafçı said urban areas pose the greatest challenges for ambulance crews because of heavy traffic, narrow streets and vehicles parked in ways that obstruct access.

According to statistical analysis conducted in 2026, response times in several neighborhoods remain above the citywide average. In Fatih, these include Sultanahmet, Nişanca and Tahtakale, while Kulaksız and Kılıçali Paşa are among the affected neighborhoods in Beyoğlu.

He said helicopter ambulances provide an alternative when emergencies occur in rural areas that are difficult to reach by road, helping crews overcome access challenges.

Lafçı said the public’s growing acceptance of the so-called zipper system, in which drivers move aside to create a passage for emergency vehicles, has helped ambulances move through traffic more efficiently.

Public awareness campaigns by the Health Ministry have encouraged drivers to give way to ambulances, contributing to improvements in response times, he said.

Improper parking remains a significant obstacle, however, and Lafçı urged drivers to avoid blocking streets and routes used by emergency vehicles.

He also warned against unnecessary calls to the 112 Emergency Call Center, saying they can divert resources from people facing genuine emergencies.

Although such calls have declined in recent years, some people still contact the line for non-emergency reasons, he said.

Lafçı cited examples of callers seeking a locksmith’s number after being unable to open a door or reporting problems with their phones.

He said the introduction of Türkiye’s unified emergency call system in 2021, which brought services such as ambulance crews, police and firefighters under the same system, helped reduce false calls and encouraged more responsible use of emergency services.

DAILYSABAH