Otokar delivered the first 20 of the BRT buses to Istanbul

Otokar (BIST: OTKAR), the leading bus manufacturer of Turkey, delivered the first 20 of the 100 bus rapid transit (BRT) buses as part of the tender that the IETT General Directorate awarded last year. The delivery ceremony for the new 21mt buses took place with Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul, Alper Bilgili, General Manager, IETT, and Serdar Görgüç, General Manager, Otokar in attendance. Otokar will complete the delivery of the 21mt, 200-passenger capacity Otokar KENT C buses in 2022. Otokar will also provide IETT after-sales services for three years.
 
Otokar, a Koç Group company, delivered the first 20 of the 100 buses to be put into operation at the bus rapid transit route in Istanbul. With more than 1,000 city buses successfully operated by IETT since 2012 and carrying thousands of passengers in Istanbul every day, Otokar delivered the locally manufactured BRT buses, known as metrobuses in Turkey, at the ceremony held at the IETT Metrobus Garage in Edirnekapı. Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul, Alper Bilgili, General Manager, IETT, and Serdar Görgüç, General Manager, Otokar were present at the delivery ceremony of the 21mt KENT C buses. Otokar will provide after-sales services for the vehicles for three years and complete the delivery in parties throughout the year. The KENT C BRT buses will operate on a 52km long Istanbul bus rapid lane, where nearly one million take public transportation every day.
 
Otokar, the winner of multiple contracts in European countries including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Romania, and preferred by many metropolitan municipalities in Turkey in recent years, developed 21mt KENT C specifically for bus rapid transit in Istanbul. The KENT C, with a 200-passenger capacity, will start a new era in public transportation with its design, high performance, durability, low operation costs, and excellent safety and comfort. The vehicle’s wide outward-opening doors will allow the passengers to get on and off the bus safely and quickly, while the no-step design and conveniently positioned seats will enhance accessibility. With a high roof and spacious interior design, and powerful air conditioning, KENT C promises pleasant journeys in public transportation. The vehicle also stands apart with high heat and sound insulation features.
 
"WE DEVELOPED A VEHICLE WORTHY OF THIS MEGA CITY”
General Manager Serdar Görgüç noted that the buses Otokar designs, manufactures and tailors to client requirements stand apart in public transportation in more than 50 countries, including Turkey: “Every day, millions of passengers in more than 50 countries, including Turkey and many others in Europe, ride Otokar buses. We combined long years of know-how and experience in Istanbul’s public transportation with our engineering and R&D capabilities to develop the ideal BRT bus for the city. Our engineers performed in-depth analyses to study the Istanbul BRT lane, exemplary in the world, and designed the special bus to serve Istanbul best by recognizing the challenges of this route. At Otokar, we are excited and proud to serve IETT and Istanbul with a new vehicle on a new route for us. We aim to raise the standards in Istanbul’s public transportation with 21mt KENT C. We will complete the delivery in parties, and provide after-sales services for three years. We will always stand with Istanbul, and hope that the new Otokar buses will serve the city well.”
 
THE BRT BUSES DEVELOPED DETECTS PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES
The 21mt KENT C is equipped with a 4^th axle configuration with steerable independent suspension, ensuring high maneuverability. KENT C also features an electronic management system that controls the articulated part of the bus, preventing swaying in corners and automatically limiting the engine’s power and torque to ensure high safety. KENT C is also equipped with alert systems that sense the vehicle’s surroundings, detect pedestrians and bicycles, and blind spots to warn the driver of risky situations.