A Study Visit within the ‘'Public Transportation Gets Smarter in Denizli'’ Project, Was Conducted in Netherlands

Within the framework of the “Public Transportation Gets Smarter in Denizli” Project, implemented under the Sectoral Operational Programme for Transport (USOP) as part of Türkiye–EU financial cooperation and managed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, a technical study visit was conducted between 25–31 May 2025 in several cities across the Netherlands.

 The visit was attended by the Mayor of Denizli Metropolitan Municipality, Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu, the Head of Department for EU Investments at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Tijen İğci (PhD), municipal representatives, the project contractor Sistem Global Consultancy, and consortium partners.

Based in Amersfoort, the program included technical presentations, field visits, and expert meetings in the cities of Amersfoort, Deventer, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Houten, Rotterdam, Delft, and The Hague. The key topics addressed during the visit included data-driven mobility planning tools, digital traffic management, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, intelligent signal systems, and sustainable urban mobility planning (SUMP).

Highlighted technical activities during the visit included:

• Nijmegen Traffic Control Center,
• Goudappel Office in Amsterdam,
• SUMP Presentation by the Municipality of Arnhem,
• MapTM Traffic Data Center in Utrecht,
• DMI Digital Twin Presentation in Amersfoort,
• Meeting with the Dutch Cycling Embassy,
• Briefing with EIT Urban Mobility,
• Collaboration meetings with MOVE Mobility and DASUDA.

In addition, two significant diplomatic meetings were held during the programme:

• In Deventer, the delegation visited the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye and met with Consul General Hakkı Emre Yunt. During this meeting, stronger cooperation models in the field of urban transport and planning were discussed within the framework of Türkiye–Netherlands relations.
• Separately, in The Hague, the delegation met with Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to the Netherlands Selçuk Ünal. During this meeting, information about the “Public Transportation Gets Smarter in Denizli” Project was shared, and the ongoing exchange of best practices between the two countries was evaluated in depth.

This visit served not only as a technical study but also as a strategic capacity-building activity aimed at guiding Denizli’s transportation policy toward a more environmentally friendly, intelligent, and inclusive transformation. Participants gained valuable insights on preparing SUMP documents, establishing data-driven decision support systems, managing real-time traffic during emergencies, and promoting bicycle-oriented mobility policies.