"Accessibility of Smart Transportation Systems Workshop" was held online on 21-22 December 2021 by the General Directorate of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly. The workshop was attended by persons with disabilities, the elderly, representatives of civil society organizations providing services related to different transportation modes and smart transportation systems, academics, representatives from public institutions and municipalities.

Presidential Executive Programs V. Within the scope of the 180-Day Action Plan, on the first day of the Workshop, after the opening speeches, frame presentations were made with the introduction of the smart transportation systems action plan. Afterwards, the sessions were held in which the opinions of the participants were taken, and the titles of accessibility measures that should be taken in smart transportation systems in highway, rail and sea, urban and intercity public transportation vehicles and transportation superstructures were opened for discussion.

On the second day of the workshop, accessibility measures to be taken in smart transportation systems in airline vehicles and transportation superstructures and determining the needs for increasing the mobility and comfort of the disabled and people with mobility restrictions on highways were discussed.

In the opening session of the workshop, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Communications General Director, Gökhan EVREN, stated that the workshop is important in terms of determining the needs and solutions of smart transportation systems in order to make good use of transportation services for persons with disabilities and citizens with mobility-impairment and to make their lives easier.

He stated that smart transportation systems bring along innovative solutions that will contribute to optimizing the transportation infrastructure and improving the quality of transportation services for users; smart transportation systems can be implemented thanks to the introduction of connected and smart technologies that are systematically disseminated to ensure the management and control of transportation networks, which aim to ensure that citizens' transportation is safer, safer and more comfortable.

Ministry of Family and Social Services, General Director of Services for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly, Spc. Dr. Orhan KOÇ stated that there have been serious transformations in the transportation system in our country, with the studies carried out by the Ministry of Transport on the accessibility of smart transportation systems and the work carried out together with the Ministry; that there will be improvements in many areas as a result of the issues discussed in the workshop and the prepared strategy documents and action plans.

Expressing that as the Ministry, a rights-based understanding is adopted in the field of disability, every individual has the same rights as persons with disabilities, and the focus is on a rights-based understanding in all of the services implemented, KOÇ said, that there are barriers for individuals who are ill. At this point, he underlined that the issue of accessibility of transportation systems discussed in the Workshop is one of the main issues; that accessibility is an indispensable element in all services; and that public services have been developed in many areas such as education and health, but the existence of inaccessible services does not have a provision especially for persons with disabilities, therefore accessibility is the key to all services and services should be shaped according to accessibility criteria.

He stated that in the services provided by the Ministry, accessibility is based on accessibility in all areas, accessibility in open areas and the built environment is based, municipalities are trained on the accessibility of pavements, the Accessibility Guide, which reveals architectural solutions in this field, has been published, today public transport services, rail systems, air and sea routes; that accessibility from the beginning to the end of the service is provided to a great extent and a good point has been reached in such transportation systems.

After the opening speeches, presentations on “Introducing the Intelligent Transportation Systems Action Plan” by Özgür TALİH, Intelligent Transportation Systems Branch Director of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, General Directorate of Communications; on “Accessible Applications in Intelligent Transportation Systems within the Scope of Accessibility Monitoring and Inspection Form” by Head of Accessibility Department of our General Directorate, Dr. Deniz ÇAĞLAYAN GÜMÜŞ and “Smart Transportation Systems”  by Lecturer Assoc. of Marmara University, Faculty of Engineering, Müjdat SOYTÜRK.

On the first day of the workshop, the opinions of the participants were taken by road in the first session, railway in the second session, and in the third session, the measures to be taken in smart transportation systems in urban and intercity public transportation vehicles and transportation superstructures were evaluated.

On the second day of the workshop, two sessions were held, entitled accessibility measures to be taken in smart transportation systems in airline vehicles and transportation superstructures, and determining the needs for increasing the mobility and comfort of persons with disabilities and people with mobility impairments on highways.