With the rise of e-commerce today, the motorcycle courier profession has virtually become an industry. However, this rapid growth has also brought some problems: lack of inspection, low service quality, security vulnerabilities, and unregistered employment. In order to bring solutions to all these problems, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure made important amendments to the Road Transport Regulation as of May 15, 2025. This new regulation clearly reveals that not everyone can be a motorcycle courier anymore.
Not Everyone Will Be Able to Be a Motorcycle Courier Anymore
With the regulation, the most striking change became the requirement for a P1 Authorization Certificate. It will not be possible for individuals who do not possess this certificate to offer cargo, courier, and distribution services. Thus, it is aimed to connect both individual and corporate transport to certain standards.
Additionally;
• Individuals with a criminal record are prevented from working as motorcycle couriers.
• People who will work as couriers must go through certain training processes.
• The reflective vests worn by couriers will feature the inscription “COURIER” and the firm's U-Net number.
These practices are of a nature that will increase the security and transparency of the sector.
Incentives for Companies and Entrepreneurs
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has also offered some discounts and incentives, especially to support small-scale transport enterprises:
• An 85% discount will be applied on the P1 authorization certificate for individual transporters who will operate with up to 3 vehicles.
• For those who apply for this certificate in the first 6 months, the discount rate will increase to 95%.
• It will also be sufficient for the vehicles to be used in operations to be long-term rentals (the obligation to purchase has been lifted).
Positive Discrimination for Female Couriers
In order to increase female employment, special incentives for female drivers were included in the regulation:
• A 95% discount will be applied to the vehicle card fee for vehicles driven by female drivers (150 TL instead of 3,019 TL).
• For companies whose proportion of female drivers in their fleet exceeds 10%, the extension of the authorization certificate will be free of charge.
Innovations Regarding Delivery and Operational Processes
The new regulation regulates not only staff and company conditions, but also delivery processes:
• Shipments will no longer be accepted to addresses that cannot be delivered to.
• No commitment on transport time will be given in courier services.
• Upon the buyer's request, the product can be inspected during delivery.
• Delivery types (contactless, delivery to a third party, etc.) will be made available for service.
These regulations include important steps to reduce unregistered employment in the sector, increase service quality, and encourage safe transport. Motorcycle courier work is now ceasing to be a job that "anyone can easily do"; specific standards and responsibilities are being introduced. This will offer a more secure and professional environment for both companies and consumers.
