Mr. Hayri Baraçlı, the Secretary General of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality informed the press on winter preparedness and measures at the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) that will be taken for the year 2016- 2017.
Mr. Hayri Baraçlı said that they would be ready for winter conditions with 1347 vehicles and 6921 personnel. He also mentioned that that they would be prepared to clean up Istanbul's web of 4,000 km roads along 360 routes.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) purchased a total of 250,000 tons of salt and 1,290 tons of solution for the Directorate of Road Maintenance and Restoration to use to clear snow and ice from the roads as a precaution against adverse conditions. It recommended drivers equip their tires with snow chains and told them not to drive in the emergency lane. It added that that 52 staffed vehicles will help stranded drivers throughout the winter.
AKOM meteorology experts made a brief presentation about expected weather conditions in the winter and Istanbul's climate.
Housing shelters were also arranged for the homeless, who would be housed after being collected by municipal inspectors, police or ambulance in both European and Asian side of İstanbul.
