UYGAR Organizes "Safe Driving in Traffic Workshop"

UYGAR (Transportation Application and Research Center) and Department of Transportation Engineering Head Prof. Dr. Mustafa ILICALI attended the "Safe Driving in Traffic Workshop" held in Kyrenia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), on 4-6 November 2013.

Organized in the city of Kyrenia in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in cooperation with the İstanbul Driving Schools Confederation, the Bahçeşehir University Department of Transportation Engineering and UYGAR (Transportation Application and Research Center), the "Safe Driving in Traffic Workshop" began on Monday, 4 November 2013 at the Kyrenia Acapulco Hotel. The workshop was supported by the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO), the General Directorate of Security of the Republic of Türkiye, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye. On the first day of the workshop, "Training of Instructors and Examiners in Driver Education" was discussed. The workshop, which began in the morning and continued until the evening, was attended by driving school representatives and many others.

On the first day, moderated by Bahçeşehir University Head of the Department of Transportation Engineering and UYGAR (Transportation Application and Research Center) Chair Prof. Dr. Mustafa ILICALI, the panelists included Bahçeşehir University Distance Education Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tufan ADIGÜZEL, as well as İstanbul Driving Schools Confederation Chair Nusret TÜRKER, Prof. Dr. Cem BİROL from Near East University, TRNC Association for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents Chair Dr. Mehmet AVCI and Vodafone Security Director Sertaç GÜVEN. Representatives of the General Directorate of Security of the Republic of Türkiye, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye also made presentations on the subject.

BAUPLANS TO TRAIN 25 THOUSAND DRIVING INSTRUCTORS

The workshop, which brought together approximately 250 people from academia, the private sector, and local and central administrations, was attended by senior representatives including the Deputy Head of Traffic of the General Directorate of Security of the Republic of Türkiye, the Head of Traffic Safety of the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye, and the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Directorate of Traffic. In the second session of the workshop on 5 November 2013, "Problems of the Driving School Sector" were discussed. At the workshop, where TRNC Minister of Public Works and Transport Dr. Ahmet KAŞİF also gave a speech, the training of instructors was examined and what could be done in the short, medium and long term to raise standards was discussed in detail.

The consensus emerging from the discussions was that in the short term all instructors should undergo certified training in cooperation between driving schools and universities, and in the medium and long term relevant departments should be opened at universities to guarantee employment. In this direction, Bahçeşehir Universityplans to provide certified training, delivered on different platforms (Distance Education, etc.), to approximately 25,000 driving instructors and examiners currently in service, and to open associate, bachelor's or master's degree programs in related fields.

Following the two-day workshop, a final declaration to be published as of Wednesday, 6 November is expected to present a text identifying the problems faced by driving schools in both the Republic of Türkiye and the TRNC and offering proposed solutions.

All views recorded at the workshop will be compiled into a report by a committee chaired by Prof. Dr. Mustafa ILICALI, submitted to the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Türkiye and shared with the public.