We do not know when we will get rid of this bus problem; the bus is a means by which people can travel easily in civilized countries; For us, getting on a bus means getting into a barrel of sardines.
Izmir Municipality is probably more aware than any of us that Buca buses travel with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40 passengers, especially after five o'clock in the evening. Because, in order not to harm the commerce of the municipality, the active officers, of course, determine the amount of passengers on the bus while inspecting the ticket reports of the ticket holders (many) times a day. We paid attention to only one thing; In the past, if there were two more people on the bus, municipal officials would immediately write a fine. Now they see two or three people next to the driver and thirty or forty people in the bus, but they do not make any noise. When one sees these situations, one cannot help but wonder if the municipal regulations have changed. A penalty will be given almost because there are few passengers on the buses. Considering that the people who get on the buses are also human, we expect the officers to show some mercy and remember their duties a little bit.
Those who see Buca buses full to the brim every day, especially in the evenings, on their way back from Izmir, are very right if they doubt that the people on this bus will arrive in Buca without any accident or trouble. Especially after the drivers took two or three passengers on either side of them after Basmane and started the conversation on the way, it cannot be imagined as ridiculous as believing that one travels safely.
Today, we were on a bus that left after six o'clock in the evening. Bermutad had (as is customary) 35 people. Passengers complained about this crowd, and they got the following response from the ticket agent: "If I don't get more passengers and bring less revenue than other ticket holders, my boss will immediately put my job away."
If an accident happens, who will be responsible? Is anyone thinking about this?
Municipal officials are not doing their duty; Is there no one to control them? If not, we'll do this from now on. Whichever officer allows or tolerates the movement of the bus with more passengers, we will not hesitate to report the number of that officer. We expect the Izmir Municipality and our esteemed ilbay to remind the officials of their duties and tell us about the possibility of traveling safely, just for the sake of the ten percent that we, the people of Buca, receive from the ticket prices.
From Buca: Mehmet Tekin, Ali Yanık, Şakir Bilir
March 13, 1938, Anadolu