COP31: Delegates face three-hour journeys, transport chaos in Türkiye

Delegates attending the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, have criticised organisers over transportation difficulties, with some reporting journeys of up to three hours despite official estimates of about 50 minutes.

The delays have disrupted participants' schedules, leaving government officials, climate negotiators, journalists and civil society representatives struggling to attend meetings, panel discussions and other activities at the conference venue.

Some delegates have reportedly waited for hours at designated bus stops in cold weather, while others have struggled to board overcrowded buses and trams or resorted to expensive private transport to reach the Antalya Expo Centre.

A delegate from Somalia, who spoke to our correspondent on Tuesday on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration over the situation.
“Let them cancel the programme and let’s go home. This is stressful. Our health is more important,” the delegate said.

Another participant from the United Kingdom also complained about the impact of the transportation arrangements on attendees.
“This conference has been stressful. The transport situation is not helping. There should be alternative solutions,” the participant said.
The complaints have also surfaced on social media, with participants questioning the organisers' ability to manage the movement of thousands of attendees.

A user on X, @drsimevans, described the transportation arrangement as “a total farce”, recounting a journey involving two hours on a bus before passengers were asked to switch to a tram that had no available space.
“Half the freeway closed (for VIPs??). Considering walking,” the user added.
Another user, @danoladoja, replied, “It's ridiculous to say the least.”

The transportation difficulties come as Antalya hosts thousands of international participants for COP31, which opened on Monday and is scheduled to run until November 20.

The summit, taking place at the Antalya Expo Centre, is expected to attract about 100,000 participants from nearly 200 countries, including government officials, climate experts, negotiators, journalists, business representatives and civil society organisations.
The influx of visitors appears to have put pressure on the city's transport infrastructure, particularly the arrangements for moving participants between their hotels and the conference venue.

Before the summit, organisers announced complimentary, COP31-branded shuttle services connecting Antalya Airport, designated hotels and the conference centre.
According to transportation information published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, free services are available between the airport, accommodation booked through the official COP31 platform and the conference venue.

Participants were also expected to use shuttle buses and the city's AntRay tram network, supported by a digital transport assistant providing information on routes, bus stops and real-time updates.
Official guidance indicated that journeys between accommodation areas and the conference venue would generally take between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the location.

However, some participants said actual journey times had been considerably longer, with trips estimated at about 50 minutes taking up to three hours because of traffic congestion, road diversions and delays.
Delegates staying around Beldibi, Fatih, Otogar and Kemer also complained that the free transport arrangements did not adequately cover their locations, forcing some to pay for private transportation.

Others said they had been directed to designated bus stops but waited for extended periods without being picked up, despite schedules published on the conference's official application.
The complaints have also extended to accommodation arrangements, with some participants accusing the official hotel booking platform of advertising locations without adequately addressing their accessibility to conference transportation.

The situation has been compounded by traffic restrictions introduced by Antalya authorities to facilitate the movement of world leaders and their delegations.
The authorities announced temporary road closures and diversions between November 10 and 12 as part of security arrangements for high-level participants.

The D-400 highway, one of the major routes serving Antalya, has been affected by the traffic measures, with sections allocated to official convoys and public vehicles.
The road leading to the conference venue has also been restricted to authorised vehicles and official shuttles during the security period.

On Wednesday, November 11, the Leaders' Road is scheduled to be completely closed to traffic between 7.30 am and noon to facilitate the arrival of world leaders.
Amid growing complaints, the COP31 Transport Team sent an email to participants asking them to disregard an earlier system notification about bus schedules and assuring them that services were operating according to the published timetable.

“Please disregard the earlier system message about the bus schedule. All buses are running as scheduled, and the latest timetable is available in the official COP31 app and https://transport.cop31.tr website. We apologise for any inconvenience,” the message stated.
In another notification, organisers warned participants about further disruptions during the COP31 Leaders' Summit scheduled for November 11 and 12.

The message explained that road closures, lane restrictions and other security measures would affect designated areas.
It also advised participants travelling to the conference venue from affected locations to use designated transport lines between 5am and 7am, when shuttle frequencies would be increased.

“As of 07:00 AM, no public transport vehicles will be permitted to depart from the security zone,” the notification stated.
Organisers warned that access to the venue could experience severe disruptions after the specified hours and urged participants to make alternative transport arrangements.

They added that detailed route schedules and operational procedures were being prepared for publication.
The assurances have, however, done little to address participants' calls for more frequent shuttle services, reliable pick-up arrangements and accurate information about journey times.

The transportation difficulties have become a major source of frustration at a global climate conference expected to promote sustainability, climate resilience and environmentally friendly urban development.