COP31: Delegates stranded as transport delays hit Türkiye

Thousands of delegates and other participants attending the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, have been left frustrated by mounting transportation difficulties, with some spending up to three hours on journeys that were scheduled to take about 50 minutes, The PUNCH reports.

The situation has sparked complaints among delegates, officials, journalists and other attendees, who accuse organisers of failing to provide the efficient transportation system promised ahead of the global climate summit.

Some participants have been forced to wait for hours at designated bus stops in the cold, while others have struggled to board overcrowded buses and trains or resorted to expensive private transportation to reach the conference venue.

The transportation difficulties have also disrupted participants’ daily schedules, with some arriving late for scheduled meetings, panel discussions and other conference activities.

A delegate from Somalia, who spoke with our correspondent on Tuesday, expressed frustration over the situation, saying the transportation challenges were becoming unbearable.

“Let them cancel the programme and let’s go home. This is stressful. Our health is more important,” the delegate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

Another participant from the United Kingdom complained about the transport situation, lamenting its impact on participants’ health.

“This conference has been stressful. The transport situation is not helping. There should be alternative solutions.”

On X, @drsimevans posted, “COP31 travel a total farce. Organisers really need to get a grip, else tempers will fray quickly. Two hours on a bus. Turfed off to get the tram. No space on the tram. Half the freeway closed (for VIPs??). Considering walking.”

@danoladoja replied, “It’s ridiculous to say the least.”

The complaints come as Antalya hosts thousands of international delegates for COP31, which opened on Monday and will run until November 20 at the Antalya Expo Centre.

The conference is expected to attract about 100,000 participants from nearly 200 countries, making it one of the largest international gatherings hosted by Türkiye. The expected attendance includes government officials, negotiators, climate experts, civil society organisations, journalists, business representatives and other stakeholders.

However, the influx of visitors appears to have placed considerable pressure on the city’s transportation infrastructure, particularly the arrangements for moving participants from their hotels to the conference venue.

Before the conference, organisers announced a transportation arrangement featuring complimentary, COP31-branded shuttle buses connecting the airport, designated hotels and the conference venue.

The system was designed to provide participants with convenient movement across Antalya and reduce dependence on private vehicles during the two-week summit.

According to the official information for participants published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, free transportation services are provided between Antalya Airport, accommodation booked through the official COP31 accommodation platform and the conference venue.

The organisers also provided shuttle buses and the city’s AntRay tram network as alternative transportation options, with an official digital transport assistant offering information on bus stops, routes and real-time updates.

The 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, participants told our correspondent that the reality on the ground had been considerably different.

Some delegates staying around Beldibi, Fatih, Otogar and Kemer, outside the immediate conference area, complained that the free transportation arrangement had not adequately catered to their locations, forcing them to pay for private transport.

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Others said they had been directed to designated bus stops but were left waiting for long periods without being picked up, despite the transportation schedules published on the conference’s official application.

At some locations, attendees were seen waiting for buses in the cold weather, uncertain about when the next available vehicle would arrive.

The situation was particularly frustrating for delegates who had planned their daily movements around the schedules provided by the organisers.

Some participants also complained that journeys estimated at approximately 50 minutes on the official transport application were taking as long as three hours because of heavy traffic, road diversions and delays in the transportation system.

Other delegates have expressed dissatisfaction with the accommodation arrangements, accusing the official hotel booking platform of misleading participants about the convenience of their locations and accessibility to conference transportation.

The transport difficulties have coincided with traffic management measures introduced by the Antalya authorities to accommodate the movement of world leaders and their delegations.

The authorities announced temporary road restrictions and diversions between November 10 and 12 to facilitate the movement of heads of state, government officials and other high-level participants attending the summit.

Under the arrangements, designated roads have been reserved for official convoys, while some sections of major routes have been reorganised to accommodate public traffic and conference transportation.

The D-400 highway, one of the major routes serving Antalya, has been affected by the traffic arrangements, with different 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 peak security period.

The restrictions are expected to be particularly significant on Wednesday, November 11, when the Leaders’ Road will be completely closed to traffic between 7:30 am and noon to facilitate the arrival of world leaders.

In response to the complaints, the COP31 Transport Team sent an email to participants, asking them to disregard an earlier system message concerning the bus schedule and assuring them that transportation services were operating according to the published timetable.

The message read, “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 apologize for any inconvenience. Kind regards.”

Another message on the official app read: “Dear All, Within the scope of the COP31 Leaders Summit to be held on November 11–12, road closures, lane separations, and traffic restrictions will be implemented in designated areas in accordance with security measures.

“In this context, services on all transport lines will commence simultaneously, with increased shuttle frequencies operating between 05:00 and 07:00 AM. As of 07:00 AM, no public transport vehicles will be permitted to depart from the security zone.

“Therefore, to avoid any transport disruptions or inconvenience, all participants wishing to reach the COP31 event area from these regions are strongly advised to travel to the venue using the relevant lines between 05:00 and 07:00 AM.

“As access to the venue may experience severe disruptions due to the security measures enforced after the specified hours, all participants are kindly requested to make their transport plans accordingly.

“Please note that we are currently preparing our pre-planned route schedules and necessary operational procedures for publication. We will share these detailed plans with you as soon as possible.”

The assurance came amid growing calls from participants for the organisers to improve the frequency of shuttle services, ensure that buses stop at designated locations and provide more reliable information on journey times.

The transportation challenges have become an uncomfortable feature of a conference expected to showcase global commitments to sustainability, climate resilience and environmentally friendly urban development.