Otokar delivered 364 buses to serve the people of İzmir

26.06.2021 -
TÜRKİYE

Otokar delivered 364 buses to ESHOT, an Izmir Metropolitan Municipality company, completing the delivery of one of the biggest bus purchasing contracts in Turkey’s recent history in as short as one year. Otokar KENT LF and KENT LF Articulated buses were put into service with a ceremony attended by CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Izmir Mayor Tunç Soyer, ESHOT General Manager Erhan Bey, and Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç.

Otokar, a Koç Group company, continues to strengthen the public transport fleets of municipalities all around Turkey with its innovative, ecofriendly vehicles, preferred in more than 50 countries with their design, ergonomics, and technology. Otokar recently made the biggest delivery of the year to Izmir, which holds a strong position as one of the world’s best cities to live in. The delivery as part of the agreement signed last year with ESHOT, an Izmir Metropolitan Municipality company, for buses and aftersales services for five years, included 364 KENT LF and KENT LF Articulated models.

Delivery of the buses, preferred by several metropolitan municipalities in Turkey and many countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Romania, was completed in as short as a year. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality opened Turkey’s biggest bus tender in one lot to achieve efficiency and provide exemplary public transportation services. The delivery ceremony took place with CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, several MPs, Izmir Mayor Tunç Soyer, ESHOT General Manager Erhan Bey, and Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç in attendance. A total of 364 KENT buses in various lengths, which reflect Otokar’s innovative approach to public transportation with a modern design and superior technical specifications, began operating in Izmir.

MORE THAN 750 OTOKAR BUSES IN IZMIR

Serdar Görgüç spoke at the signing ceremony and emphasized that İzmir, with its position as the gem of the Aegean region and an exemplary city in Turkey, is a leading municipality, "İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and ESHOT continued their leadership in local administration with their ambitious and bold decisions during the pandemic and decided to go ahead with an important change in public transportation for the people of İzmir. With the steps they took to ensure that the people of Izmir traveled safely and comfortably, they grew the public transit fleet in the last two years. At Otokar, we are delighted to be a part of the valuable efforts in İzmir with 364 buses. With this delivery today, the total number of Otokar branded vehicles serving the city of İzmir has exceeded 750."

Görgüç noted that Otokar is very proud and honored to serve public transportation in Izmir, "On behalf of all Otokar employees, I would like to thank the people of İzmir, and in particular Mayor Tunç Soyer for trusting us. We acknowledge our responsibility in İzmir. Otokar buses designed by Turkish engineers and produced by Turkish workers are ready to provide the level of comfort in mass transit that Izmir deserves. The award-winning, locally-produced Otokar buses will be the new face of modern transportation with their design in Izmir. With low operating costs and fuel economy, they will not be a burden on Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. We will always be available to serve İzmir with aftersales services of our buses as well."

A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FAVORITE

As Otokar celebrates its 58th anniversary in the sector, more than 35 thousand buses carry millions of passengers in more than 50 countries, gaining the appreciation of users, particularly in Europe with their design, comfort, technology, performance and low operating costs. The purpose-built buses offer unparalleled comfort to the passengers with their designs and spacious interiors suited to modern public transportation. The buses also stand apart with their modern interior and exterior looks, ecofriendly engines, excellent handling and low operating costs. Otokar buses, which mark a new era in public transit in the countries where they are used, support their users with their efficiency while ensuring maximum safety for both users and passengers, thanks to superior safety features.

SAFE BUS ALSO IN OPERATION

As a pioneer in the automotive industry with R&D investments amounting to TL 1.3 billion in the last decade and many firsts to its name, including alternative fueled vehicles, smart cities, and safe transportation systems, Otokar developed Turkey’s first Safe Bus to minimize the Covid-19 infection risk, marking a first in public transportation. Otokar integrated four systems into the KENT LF Articulated bus to minimize the infection risk of COVID-19. The self-disinfecting Safe Bus comes with a photocatalytic system to ensure a safe journey. Other systems include temperature scanning and face mask monitoring and a new generation driver cabin to provide higher protection for the drivers.

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