A recent study indicated that one in four cab drivers in İstanbul carry sharp objects such as knives, the BirGün newspaper reported on Thursday.
The study was conducted by an academic from İstanbul Gelişim University who interviewed 146 taxi drivers across İstanbul over the course of five months.
Another finding was that 65 percent of drivers reported that they do not feel safe in traffic. Three out of four interviewees admitted to being stressed and 73 percent identified themselves as smokers, which is around 1.5 times the national average for men.
Drivers spend on average 11 hours, 20 minutes a day in traffic, and long working hours were one of their complaints as noted by the study.
The results also indicated that they earn TL 3,270 ($560) per month, which is slightly above the starvation line for a family of four.