EST2 – Public Transportation Digital Transformation, Planning, Monitoring and Analysis System

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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