According to the information obtained by AA reporters, the "Winter Season Traffic Precautions" circular was published with the signature of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mustafa Çiftçi, in order to reduce the effects of adverse weather and road conditions such as snowfall, icing, fog and blizzard on traffic safety during the winter season, to prevent accidents and to ensure safe transportation.
Within the scope of the circular, effective information sharing and cooperation will be ensured between law enforcement units and relevant institutions and organizations under the coordination of governorships, and road, traffic and emergency response measures will be implemented in a timely and coordinated manner.
Under the chairmanship of governors and district governors, winter traffic coordination meetings will be held with the participation of police, gendarmerie, provincial disaster and emergency directorates, highways regional and branch units, municipalities, meteorology, health, 112 Emergency Call Center, relevant road operators and other necessary stakeholders, and the measures to be taken will be determined.
In case the roads are closed to traffic due to heavy snowfall, icing, avalanches and landslides, coordination between provinces will be provided through governorships. Vehicles located in provincial and district centers or recreational facilities will not be allowed to enter the highway, and vehicles that will use the route will be kept in suitable places until the roads become suitable.
Additional traffic measures will be taken on the routes of tourism regions
Considering the risk posed by vehicles with tractors and semi-trailers entering the traffic during heavy snowfall and blizzards, these vehicles will not be allowed to drive on the affected routes.
Considering that traffic flow from other provinces to winter tourism regions will intensify, additional measures will be taken on these routes.
If urban and intercity highways are closed to traffic or traffic intensifies, vehicle traffic will be directed to predetermined alternative routes. Horizontal and vertical traffic markings on and around the highways will be checked in accordance with seasonal conditions and deficiencies will be eliminated.
Within the scope of snow combat efforts on highways, especially highways, necessary coordination will be ensured between the gendarmerie, police and other relevant units, and all kinds of measures will be taken to keep the routes open.
In order to quickly reopen the routes closed due to road and seasonal conditions to traffic, rescuers and tow trucks will be available at safe points determined by the relevant road organization and law enforcement. In order to prevent exorbitant price practices, towing and rescue fee tariffs will be determined and updated by authorized institutions and chambers and announced to the public. Complaints regarding requests for fees that exceed the tariff or are not disclosed will be meticulously examined by authorized inspection units and action will be taken.
Decisions regarding the application of winter tires at provincial borders will be made by governorships.
Local governments will provide all kinds of assistance to drivers and passengers who are stranded on the roads due to seasonal conditions, and they will be enabled to benefit from the facilities of public institutions and organizations when necessary.
Necessary inspections will be carried out on vehicles used to transport passengers and goods on intercity highways to ensure compliance with the obligation to use winter tires, from 15 November until 15 April of the following year. Especially intercity passenger buses will be checked at the terminal exits.
If it is determined that vehicles that are required to use winter tires do not comply with this rule, administrative fines will be imposed on the vehicles. In addition, a Winter Tire Use Obligation Certificate will be issued to allow them to go to the nearest settlement where they can have their tires suitable.
The decisions taken by the governorships on whether winter tires will be applied within the provincial borders and whether the application period will be extended by one month before or after the determined date range will be announced to the public.
Before arriving at areas where fog, lateral wind, snow drift, hidden icing and similar negativities are experienced, drivers will be warned by team vehicles with megaphones and LED screen panel devices or through overpass LED panels on the highways that "visibility distance is decreasing", "increase the following distance", "obey the lane following rules", "use fog lights", "drive slowly and carefully" and "turn on the near lights during the daytime".
The public will be encouraged to use public transportation
The public will be encouraged to use public transportation in order to avoid traffic congestion. The Directive on Precautions to be Taken in Traffic Inspections and Traffic Accidents will be complied with during the work carried out by traffic teams and teams on the highways.
Traffic teams and teams will not be assigned duties other than traffic regulation and control, except in cases of necessity. If necessary, additional fuel demands will be met by the units.
Despite all the measures taken, if the highways are closed to traffic or there are disruptions in transportation, the situation should be reported immediately to the General Directorate of Security Traffic Management Center on the numbers "0312 462 22 21" and "0505 318 00 88", and to the Gendarmerie General Command Traffic Monitoring and Management Center on the numbers "0538 860 85 04" and "0312 456 24". It will be notified to their phone number 22".
