Eskişehir, Türki̇ye

About the city. Eskişehir is a city that brings together urban life, centered in the districts of Odunpazarı and Tepebaşı, with twelve rural districts known for agriculture and livestock, achieving a balanced integration of urban and rural characteristics.

Goal

The core aim of the project is to provide both interaction among the components and general system optimization electronically, through parametric evaluation, and to implement these findings in the field.

The primary objective of EST2 is to digitally transform public transportation services across Eskişehir. Key goals include:

• Passenger Safety & Efficiency: Ensuring secure, smooth, and efficient trips for all users.
• Operational Optimization: Using real-time and historical data to enhance planning, monitoring, and resource utilization.

• Integration of Components: Bringing together vehicles, drivers, routes, stops, maintenance, and passenger information into a unified digital ecosystem.
• Sustainability: Reducing accidents, fuel consumption, and environmental impact while supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 7, 11, 13).

Implementation period is January 2023.

Fact

In order to provide faster, more transparent, and accessible services to citizens, various municipal services have been made available through the E-Government Gateway (www.turkiye.gov.tr). Citizens can securely perform debt inquiries, personnel record checks, payroll access, and barcode document verifications through the E-Government platform. This digital transformation initiative has enabled our municipality to conduct its operations more effectively, efficiently, and with enhanced user-friendliness.

Solutions

The EST2 Mobile System is a system established within Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) to evaluate the vehicles under its management, the drivers operating these vehicles, the determination of public transportation routes and trips, and the digital infrastructure forming the basis for stop automation. It aims to assess the information obtained from mobile environments in terms of operations, safety, and efficiency.

Within the scope of EST2, a Stop and Mobile Passenger Information System and an integrated communication and information system based on real data have been established.

All cost-affecting factors such as correct route and trip planning, monitoring of planned and unplanned maintenance-repair activities, fuel consumption analysis, and real-time application changes can be evaluated on the same platform and analyzed accordingly.

As a result of the shared use and evaluation of field-collected data, the contribution of all user groups to general operations and optimization is ensured. Thus, with a single investment, a common database and data-sharing platform are achieved.

For instance:

• Driver scorecards and their development indices are used as real data for the Human Resources performance analysis system.
• The Maintenance Directorate and Fleet Management can monitor maintenance and repair activities of vehicles based on kilometers, time, and working hours and access historical records of replaced parts.
• From the same system infrastructure, the Passenger Information System has been configured, and accurate stop, route, and trip information is based on real data.

As a result of correctly collecting, compiling, and evaluating the data within the system, accurate planning is made possible, and municipal resources are utilized in the most efficient way.

As a result of the implemented measures, a 33% reduction in traffic accidents and a 12% decrease in fuel expenditures have been achieved.

Implementation Phases of the Project

The methodology followed is based on the analysis of problems, determination of the solution, implementation, and optimization of the system according to the results obtained. Results continue to be obtained on an ongoing basis, and continuous improvement efforts are being carried out.

Mobile Tracking System: The communication and information infrastructure through which all vehicles, drivers, and violations are monitored and the necessary operational scenarios are organized.

NimBus: An application for public transportation stop, route, trip, and block planning, as well as real-time public transport monitoring, violation detection, and reporting.

Ecodrive: An application for driver maneuver analysis, evaluation, and reporting.

Fleetrun: A periodic operations application (maintenance, repair, inspection, driver documents, etc.).

Filozof Automatic Bus Assignment Solution: Periodic Bus Assignment Excel Tables are automatically sent to NimBus via NimBus SDK by this solution.

Filozof Mid-ware (FMid-Ware): FM/W is an information system designed for data integration using the Wialon Hosting infrastructure. FM/W primarily handles data transfer and transformation and communicates with external servers through various data methods and protocols.

Sustainability and Long-Term Impacts

Future activities and contributions of the project to society and the city are listed below:

• The tram infrastructure will also transition to the same system, enabling travel planning to be conducted within a unified structure. As a result, public transportation will be used more efficiently, and redundant trips will be eliminated. Additionally, following this integration, categorization within public transport will be possible, easing traffic congestion.
  Traffic accidents and penalties will be minimized, and the health of drivers and passengers affected by accidents will be protected.
• Travel comfort will increase through the prevention of sudden maneuvers.
• Since drivers will be evaluated professionally, a reward and professional structuring system can be implemented.

With all data in digital format:

• Vehicle holding costs will be calculated, making tender conditions more clearly defined,
• Planning related to both public transportation and resource utilization can be conducted more realistically,
• Resource utilization can be optimized,
• Since there is a flexible infrastructure, reports can be obtained more quickly and effectively,
• Integration with other municipalities and/or public institutions will be easier.

Realistic tests can be conducted by integrating with driver simulators. Passenger information systems can be established for notifying relatives. All necessary data for artificial intelligence is being collected, and with proper modeling, structural improvements can be made. New arrangements can be made based on traffic, stop, and passenger density.

Team

The EST2 project is a collaborative effort led by Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality with contributions from:

• Department of Public Transportation
• Department of Mechanical Maintenance
• Department of Information Technologies
• Filozof Mobile Technologies Inc
• MatrisLED
• ASİS

This interdisciplinary approach ensures both technological robustness and practical usability.

Timeline

Through EST2, Eskişehir has positioned itself as a leader in smart city innovation and public transportation digitalization. By combining cutting-edge technology with sustainable practices, the project not only improves efficiency and safety but also strengthens trust in municipal services. Looking ahead, the expansion of EST2 into trams and AI-supported planning promises even greater contributions to the city’s mobility, environment, and quality of life.

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Chelyabinsk, Russia

About the city. 

Chelyabinsk is a developed city in terms of communications and IT by Russian regional standards, with a firm foundation in education, industry and telecommunications infrastructure. The city is actively implementing digital twins of communications infrastructure to speed up the installation of base stations and reduce residents’ complaints about towers that “spoil the view.”

Goal

The aim of the project is to guarantee residents a high quality of communication, create a favourable environment for communication operators to develop communication infrastructure, and carefully preserve the appearance of the city’s architecture.

Implementation period is 2021–2024.

Fact

Residents of large Russian cities are increasingly expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of mobile communications. Mobile operators point to a shortage of available radio frequencies and growth in mobile internet consumption, which inevitably reduces data transfer speeds.

Previously, the problem of frequency shortage was partially solved by installing more base stations, but now this option is complicated by the lack of imported equipment and the absence of domestic alternatives. 

Solutions

In 2021, the Concept for the Development of Communication Networks was developed. As part of its implementation, the following measures were carried out in 2022 and 2023:

• Optimisation of municipal services procedures: streamlined processes for approvals and getting permits (RNI, servitudes, technical specifications for placement on lighting poles). A working group provided preliminary approval of locations for multifunctional poles (MFPs).
• Design code development: a design code for multifunctional poles was created to ensure compliance with the city’s architectural appearance.
• Creation of a digital model: a digital model of Chelyabinsk’s communication networks was developed by dividing the city into 250 × 250 m sectors and identifying potential locations for multifunctional poles within each sector according to the design code criteria.
• Implementation of an interagency electronic interaction system: the “Digital Twin of the Communication Networks of Chelyabinsk” was introduced as a city-wide geographic information system (GIS). It includes not only data on potential locations for multifunctional poles, but also a unified database required for decision-making regarding placement on municipal land, public institution buildings, road transport and utilities infrastructure.

By 2025, the Digital Twin system includes:

1. Information on 3,000 base stations: photos, ownership, working group approval protocols, and sanitary-epidemiological conclusions.
2. Mapping of zones for each type of MFP and visualisation of potential placement sites. Previously, only the municipal property authority (KUIiZO) had access to free municipal land data; now this functionality has been made available to operators. During working group sessions, such information is shared with telecom and infrastructure operators.
3. Automation of working group activities: the system supports automated coordination of placement sites for MFPs.
   

Additional achievements:

• A simplified document processing mechanism was created for telecom and infrastructure operators to install equipment on municipal property. Positive decisions are now made in more than half of cases, with review times reduced to one week.
• The Digital Twin electronic service enables all operators to work in a unified information field, with instant access to up-to-date data: requirements for MFP placement, design specifications, and zoning maps. This significantly reduces the time operators need to identify locations for base stations.
• Optimisation and automation of site approval processes have shortened the time to obtain permits (RNI) to 30 days, compared to the 6+ months required before.
• By increasing the share of equipment installed on municipal property, operators in Chelyabinsk reduced rental costs by over three times. The share of municipal land and lighting poles used by telecom operators now exceeds 50%, five times higher than in 2021. For comparison: rental costs on private property range from 18,000–20,000 rubles per month, while municipal property costs only 0–5,000 rubles.
• Telecommunication infrastructure improvements have created favourable conditions for IT sector growth, including “Smart City” solutions that enhance quality of life and public safety. MFPs now host not only telecom base stations, but also smart lighting, public safety cameras, Wi-Fi access points, and environmental and road condition sensors.
• A coordinated planning algorithm was established between telecom operators and local authorities. Now, all urban redevelopment, road construction, and landscaping projects include designated spaces for MFPs, which ensures improved mobile coverage in both established areas and new residential developments.
• Compliance with the design code has significantly improved the city’s architectural image.
• Installing MFPs according to set design criteria (distance from social facilities, residential buildings, trees; pole height depending on the city zone—historic centre, residential, industrial) has reduced public dissatisfaction and collective complaints regarding unauthorised base stations several times over.

Team

Deputy Head of the City for Road and Transport Infrastructure Development and Digitalisation

Timeline

In 2025, as part of the All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference GISOGD 2025, the city hosted guests from various regions of the country and showcased the developed solution.

The Concept for the Development of Communication Networks and the Design Code for Multifunctional Poles (MFPs) are being adopted in Magnitogorsk and other cities of the Chelyabinsk region at the request of the Ministry of Digital Development.

Telecom and infrastructure operators are also extending the concept and design code of multifunctional poles to other cities where they operate.

The implemented practice became a finalist of the III National Award for Contribution to Urban Development.

 

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Eskişehir, Turkey  

About the city. Eskişehir is a mid‑sized city in northwestern Turkey, known for its universities, cultural life, and growing sustainable initiatives. It operates a modern tram network, EsTram, which as of 2025 includes nine lines and 77 stations, carrying nearly 40 million riders annually. The city has also committed to renewable energy and climate action, joining the EU’s Net Zero Cities initiative in June 2023.

Goal

The aim of the project is to ease city traffic congestion and make transportation safer.

Implementation period. The project was launched in 2025.

Fact

• Eskişehir has broad environmental and smart-city strategies, including solar energy installations and participation in net‑zero initiatives.
• Eskişehir ranks 4th in terms of traffic congestion levels among Turkish cities, behind Istanbul, İzmir, and Ankara, highlighting major urban mobility challenges even in a mid-sized city context.
• According to user‑contributed traffic data, Eskişehir residents endure an average one‑way commute of approximately 35.6 minutes covering nearly 17.4 km, with car journeys alone averaging almost 42 minutes for about 37.5 km. The city’s traffic index is measured at 141.4, and a high inefficiency index of 256.8 reveals substantial delays and congestion in daily transport.

 

Solutions

To improve traffic efficiency and safety, the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Department implemented the Green Wave program on the Eskişehir–Kütahya highway. The system coordinates traffic signals across five intersections in the Ömür area, covering a 7,250-meter two-way corridor, allowing drivers who adhere to designated speed limits (50 km/h and 70 km/h) to pass through without stopping at red lights.

The core 3,625-meter main route begins in the Orhangazi neighbourhood and extends through Sümer, Sazova, and Ertuğrulgazi neighbourhoods. The initiative enhances both main and connecting roads, vehicles turning from side street,such as Karacaşehir, Sümer, or Sazova can proceed smoothly if they maintain the correct speed.

The system is expected to reduce stop‑and‑go traffic, resulting in lower fuel consumption, reduced travel time, less noise pollution, and fewer carbon emissions. According to Traffic Branch Director Ali Bircan Süzen, the municipality plans to expand the program citywide.

Traffic Branch Chief Özcan Sarı confirmed that drivers already experience more comfortable commutes because of smoother transitions at side junctions and connecting streets. He also announced the next phase of expansion.

The technology infrastructure behind the Green Wave system includes centralised traffic signal coordination, operated from the municipal traffic control centre. It is designed for real-time adaptability, allowing adjustments during events, accidents, or closures. The system is integrated with electronic enforcement for speed and signal violations, digital information boards, and dynamic alerts for hazardous road conditions.

 

Team

Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, The Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Department

 

Timeline

• The Green Wave system officially launched on July 30, 2025.
• The first implementation has begun at five signalised intersections on the Eskişehir-Kütahya highway.
• Launched on the Eskişehir-Kütahya highway, the program has activated a two-way system totalling 7,250 meters at five signalised intersections in the Ömür area.
• Officials reported that the system will later expand along a roughly 10 km new corridor linking Aşağısöğütönü, Batıkent, and Çamlıca neighbourhoods along 100. Yıl Boulevard and Ulusal Egemenlik Boulevard. 

 

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