The SUMMITS 3rd International Smart Transportation Summit was hosted by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
The meeting, where smart transportation was discussed for the 3rd time, was held with intense participation from sector representatives. In his opening speech at the program, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu announced that it is ready to be managed in harmony with a more dynamic, safe, and environmentally friendly structure through Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) strategies.
Minister Karaismailoğlu stated that investments in transportation and communication services, which are accelerators of economic development, are among the important milestones for achieving societal welfare.
Expressing that ITS is a large structure developing through the interaction of major sectors such as education, health, industry, energy, construction, informatics software, communication, and automotive, Karaismailoğlu said, "Therefore, we are closely following global developments in transportation and communication, striving to integrate Turkey with innovations beyond our era. Especially in the last 20 years, we have charted new routes for our country's transportation and communication sectors and addressed global trends."
Explaining that they have determined realistic targets with growth potentials oriented towards the future under the headings of "Logistics-Mobility-Digitalization" and appropriate strategies and policies for these areas, Karaismailoğlu stated that they have developed projects and development areas within the framework of the Transport and Logistics Master Plan, taking these trends into account.
Emphasizing that they have said "the way of intelligence in transportation" and integrated ITS into the "New Turkey" within the framework of today's and future needs, Karaismailoğlu provided information on the studies conducted in this field.
Stating that they aim to provide citizens with a safer, more comfortable, secure, and environmentally friendly transportation system through ITS, Karaismailoğlu said, "We are intensively working to establish an efficient, safe, effective, innovative, dynamic, environmentally friendly, value-adding, and sustainable smart transportation network that is integrated into all transportation modes in the ITS field, utilizing current technologies and domestic and national resources."
Emphasizing that cities remain cleaner with vehicles operating on alternative energy sources, bicycles, and methods encouraging public transportation, Karaismailoğlu said, "Now, Turkey's entire transportation infrastructure is ready to be managed in harmony with a more dynamic, safe, and environmentally friendly structure through ITS strategies."
Minister Karaismailoğlu: Vehicle Mobility Increased by 170%, Fatalities Decreased by 82%
Drawing attention to the fact that vehicle mobility on roads has increased by 170% while fatalities have decreased by 82%, Karaismailoğlu continued: "In other words, fatalities per 100 million vehicle-kilometers dropped from 5.72 to 1.07. In addition to the benefits of our short-term targets with the contribution of ITS, in the long term, we continue to prepare administrative and physical infrastructures to achieve targets such as the production of domestic and national in-vehicle communication and information systems, widespread adoption of cooperative ITS applications, dissemination of autonomous vehicles, conversion of rail systems' motion energy to green energy, regulatory arrangements for air taxis and similar vehicles, use of blockchain technologies, and integration across all transportation modes."
Stating that, in line with these targets, they have implemented Turkey's vision projects to become a logistics superpower in the Middle Corridor across all transportation modes with smart solutions, Karaismailoğlu mentioned that the Northern Marmara and Ankara-Niğde smart highways, implemented under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, constitute two important examples.
Indicating that the Ankara-Niğde Highway contributes 1 billion 628 million lira annually to the economy, Karaismailoğlu stated that the highway, equipped with domestic and national smart transportation systems infrastructure, is equipped with a 1.3 million meter fiber optic network and 500 traffic sensors placed along the road.
Minister Karaismailoğlu: Highway Safety Reached the Highest Level with ITS
Pointing out that the highway is designed to warn operators and drivers against potentially dangerous situations such as accidents, Karaismailoğlu said, "With ITS, highway safety has reached the highest level. Another important achievement in Turkey's integration with Intelligent Transportation Systems is the Northern Marmara Highway, built under the PPP model without a single penny coming out of the state's or the nation's pocket. The Northern Marmara Highway, which can be monitored from the Main Control Center 24/7 across all sections, connects the Marmara, Aegean, and Central Anatolia regions seamlessly with smart transportation systems and advanced technology equipment."
Stating that the Northern Marmara Highway offers an annual savings opportunity of 1.7 billion lira in time and 800 million lira in fuel, totaling 2.5 billion lira, Karaismailoğlu explained that with projects where ITS is effectively utilized, they serve the nation's safe travel while strengthening the logistics capabilities of industrialists and exporters, reducing their costs, and decreasing carbon emissions.
Karaismailoğlu stated that with the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge and Malkara-Çanakkale Highway, which will open on March 18, they will provide new investment and employment opportunities to the region and elevate driving safety to the maximum levels with smart transportation infrastructure, noting that the Malkara-Çanakkale Highway route will shorten by 40 kilometers and the bridge will reduce the Lapseki-Gelibolu crossing time to 6 minutes.
Minister Karaismailoğlu: 1915 Çanakkale Bridge Equipped with Intelligent Transportation Systems
Stating that the bridge's 2023-meter central span symbolizes the 100th anniversary of the Republic, and its 318-meter steel towers symbolize March 18, 1915, when the Çanakkale Sea Victory was won, Karaismailoğlu said, "The red and white color of the towers also represents our national flag... With a height of 334 meters from sea level, featuring the figure of the 16-meter artillery shell carried on Seyit Onbaşı's back that changed the course of the war, our bridge will be the suspension bridge with the world's tallest towers. Within the scope of the project, it is equipped with important ITS components such as 225,250 meters of fiber optic communication infrastructure, 24 variable message signs, 10 variable traffic signs, 10 traffic and field detectors, 62 event detection camera systems, 6 meteorology measurement stations, 1 disaster recovery center, and 1 emergency call system. Even before its opening, the project has given positive signals for our country's economy. The capacity of the existing 2 Organized Industrial Zones in Çanakkale is fully occupied."
Karaismailoğlu announced that they have started preparation and planning studies for the establishment of the Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) Application Test Corridor, which will be the first example study for tracking next-generation technologies.
Stating that they have implemented applications that will set an example for the development of smart parking projects aimed at solving parking problems in metropolitan cities, ensuring time and fuel savings, and reducing negative environmental impacts, Karaismailoğlu expressed that with "Turkey Card," it will be possible to make payments with the same public transportation card or digital application in different cities.
Karaismailoğlu emphasized that they have made road, rail, sea, and air transportation intelligent with ITS.