UITP Eurasia Conference 2024 - Clean Energy Vehicles in Public Transport

Mrs. Tercan studied civil engineering and received her Ph.D. in traffic and transportation engineering at Istanbul Technical University. She has a strong educational background and extensive experience in traffic engineering, public transport, sustainable urban mobility, parking management, traffic accident analysis, climate change, and sustainable development.

Mrs. Tercan has significant experience in project proposal applications, PCM, and the financial procedures of EU projects. She possesses in-depth knowledge of Turkey and the EU’s tender and procurement procedures. She has participated in numerous national and international conferences and workshops and published several reports and articles.

Mrs. Tercan worked as an urban transportation planning and SUMP expert in the İstanbul, Konya, and Gaziantep Transportation Master Plans from 1993 to 2003. Between 2006 and 2014, she was appointed as the Head of the Departments of Environmental Protection and Control, Transportation, and Civil Works in the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality.

Mrs. Tercan played a key role during the planning, decision-making, implementation, and construction of several municipal projects with a total value of more than €150 million over 10 years. Some of these projects were implemented for the first time in Turkey and became «best practices» for Turkish municipalities.

She was also the Project Coordinator for the Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality on several foreign-funded projects such as the Gaziantep Climate Change Action Plan, SUMPA-MED (Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning in the Mediterranean), EU-GUGLE (Smart Cities for Zero Carbon Buildings), Civil Dialog for Introducing Climate Change Policy of the EU to Turkey, SECUR-ED (Security for Transportation Systems), URBAN-LEDs (Low Emission Development for Urban Areas), and others.

Since 2015, she has been working as an Associate Professor, lecturing on traffic and transportation engineering, sustainable urban mobility, climate change, and sustainable development at Hasan Kalyoncu University. In 2024, she was elected as an Executive Board Member for the Gaziantep Metropolitan City Council and is still working as the Head of the Traffic and Transportation Committee.

Mrs. Safak Tercan is married and has a son.

(Turkish version follows)

Mehmet Canbulut was born in Kayseri in 1982. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2004. From 2004 to 2009, he worked as an R&D and production engineer in various private sector companies.

In 2009, with the launch of Kayseri Transportation Inc., he began working as a Vehicle Maintenance Engineer for rail system vehicles. During this time, he contributed to numerous improvement and localization projects. He played a key role as the project manager for the «Innovative Bogie Design and Prototype Production for 100% Low-Floor Local Tram Production» project, supported by TÜBİTAK. This project marked the first step in producing local and national rail system vehicles, which are now in operation in Kayseri.

In 2014, he was promoted to Workshop Manager. After an internal restructuring in 2018, he transitioned to the role of Human Resources and Financial Affairs Director at Kayseri Ulaşım A.Ş.

Canbulut has also conducted research on green financing for urban public transportation in Turkey. He holds Master’s degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Finance.

In 2022, he was appointed General Manager. He is married and has two children.

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1982 Yılında Kayseri’de doğdu. 2004 yılında Makine Mühendisliği Lisans derecesini aldı. 2004-2009 yılları arasında farklı özel sektör kuruluşlarında ar-ge mühendisi ve üretim mühendisi olarak çalıştı.

2009 yılında Kayseri Ulaşım A.Ş.’nin faaliyetlerine başlaması ile birlikte Kayseri Ulaşım A.Ş.’de raylı sistem araçları Araç Bakım Mühendisi olarak göreve başladı. Bu görevde olduğu sürede birçok iyileştirme ve yerlileştirme projesinde görev aldı. Şu an Kayseri’de faaliyette bulunan yerli ve milli raylı sistem araçlarının üretime geçmesinin ilk adımı olan TÜBİTAK destekli “%100 Düşük Tabanlı Yerel Tramvay Üretimini Sağlayacak Yenilikçi Boji Tasarımı ve Prototip Üretimi” isimli projede Kayseri Ulaşım A.Ş. adına proje yürütücüsü olarak görev aldı.

2014 yılında Atölye Müdürü olarak atandı. 2018 yılında Şirket içerisinde yürütülen rotasyon ve organizasyonel gelişim çalışmaları neticesinde İnsan Kaynakları ve Mali İşler Direktörü olarak Kayseri Ulaşım A.Ş.’de çalışmalarına devam etti.

Ülkemizde kent içi toplu ulaşımın yeşil finansmanı konusunda araştırma çalışmaları bulunan Mehmet Canbulut Makine Mühendisliği ve Finans alanlarında Yüksek Lisans derecelerine de sahiptir.

2022 Yılında Genel Müdürlüğe atanan Canbulut evli ve iki çocuk babasıdır.

A seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience, Mr. ldowu Oguntona serves as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos Bus Services Limited, where he spearheads corporate strategy development and execution, drives performance excellence, and oversees operations. His leadership has yielded impressive results, including:

• Consistent year-over-year revenue growth of at least 5%
• Scaling business assets from 50 to 300 buses within three years
• Full automation of business processes

A versatile leader, Mr. Oguntona has held various leadership positions across diverse industries, cultivating expertise in:

• Strategic planning and execution
• Process improvement and efficiency optimization
• Cost reduction and financial management
• Organizational effectiveness

A distinguished alumnus of The Harvard Business School. Mr. Oguntona holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is also a Fellow of:

• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA)
• Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC)

Büşra Buran received the M.Sc. degree in Industrial Engineering from Galatasaray University, in 2012 and is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Management Engineering at Istanbul Technical University (ITU). She is working for ten years. She worked in different departments of IETT such as planning, BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), and service improvement. She currently works as a strategy development manager at the IETT that is the bus transportation authority for Istanbul. She is responsible for the strategic plan, key performance indicators, project management, quality management, energy management, innovation, benchmarking.

(Turkish version follows)

Dr. Özgür Soy, born in 1970, is a distinguished leader in the fields of transportation, logistics, and infrastructure. After graduating from the German High School, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Boğaziçi University, followed by an MBA from INSEAD. Additionally, he completed the Port Management Certificate Program through a scholarship from the Singapore Government under the Singapore Cooperation Program.

Dr. Soy holds a Ph.D. in Maritime Transport Engineering from Istanbul Technical University. Over the course of his career, he has held senior management roles in prominent companies such as Kumport, Procter & Gamble, DHL, Schneider Electric, Arçelik, Borusan Lojistik, and Trenkwalder. Alongside his corporate achievements, Dr. Soy has contributed to academia by teaching logistics courses at respected universities and has been a featured speaker at conferences across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

In 2020, Dr. Soy was appointed General Manager of Metro Istanbul, where he played a pivotal role in advancing the city’s public transportation system. Under his leadership, 87 kilometres of metro and tram lines were commissioned, and daily ridership increased from 2.2 million to 3.1 million. As of September 2024, he serves as the Group Chair of Public Transport at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) and Metro Istanbul Executive Chairman. Dr. Soy also actively contributes to the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) as a member of its Executive Board and Chairman of the Eurasia Region.

In addition to his professional career, Dr. Soy is a passionate writer, photographer, and musician, and is a proud father of three.

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Özgür Soy 1970 yılında doğmuştur. Alman Lisesi’ndeki eğitimini takiben Boğaziçi Üniversitesi’nde Makine Mühendisliği Derecesi almıştır ve INSEAD’dan İşletme Master Derecesi (MBA) sahibidir. Singapur İşbirliği Programı kapsamında Singapur Hükümeti’nin verdiği bursla Liman Yönetimi Sertifikası Programı’nı tamamlamıştır. Halen İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi’nde Doktora tez aşamasındadır. Kumport, Procter & Gamble, DHL, Schneider Electric, Arçelik, Borusan Lojistik, Trenkwalder gibi şirketlerde yönetim rollerinde görev almış olan Özgür Soy; Yeditepe Üniversitesi ve Uludağ Üniversitesi’nde Uluslararası Lojistik Yönetimi Dersleri vermiş, Türkiye, Avrupa ve Orta Doğu’da birçok seminere konuşmacı olarak katılmıştır. 13 Şubat 2020 itibari ile İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi, Metro İstanbul Genel Müdürlüğü görevine atanan Özgür Soy, 3 çocuk babası olup iyi derecede İngilizce ve Almanca bilmektedir.

Mr. Tali Trigg is Principal Green Cities, Electric Mobility. He joined EBRD in January 2022, supporting the Green Cities programme and the Bank as its first electric mobility specialist, working across all sustainable transport projects. He has a Master of Environmental Management and a Bachelor of Political Science, with over 15 years of experience working in climate change and sustainable transport and energy across all continents, working for amongst others GIZ in Southeast Asia, the International Energy Agency, and as a climate finance consultant. He is a native of Sweden.

Born in 1992. Citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In 2016  graduated from the University of Toronto (Canada), majoring in «industrial engineering».
«City Transportation Systems» coordinates work in the following areas:
1) analytics and implementation of new areas of the Partnership related to digitalization;
2) control over the provision of electronic payment services in public transport of Astana;
3) organization of electronic payments, analysis of the use and effectiveness of transport cards;
4) coordination of cash transactions;
5) development of information technology / information security;
6) development and operation of communication networks / cable duct networks.has context menu

Orhan Solak, originally from Karamürsel, Kocaeli, is an experienced environmental engineer with a strong focus on climate change. He completed his undergraduate studies in Environmental Engineering at Kocaeli University and holds a master’s degree in the same field from Hacettepe University. Currently, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, Engineering, and Management at Istanbul Technical University.

Orhan began his career in waste management in the private sector in 2005, before joining the Ministry of Environment and Forestry as an Assistant Specialist in 2007. He gained significant experience in managing EU environmental funds at the IPA Coordination and Implementation Center and later worked as a Project Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the Trakya Development Agency.

In 2012, he joined the Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, where he served in various roles, including Branch Manager and Head of Department. From 2021 to 2023, he served as the President of the newly established Climate Change Presidency. As of July 28, 2023, Orhan Solak continues his work as the Deputy Director of the Climate Change Presidency. He is married with three children.

Mücahit Arman graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in 1986. He completed his master’s degree in 1989 from the same university’s Institute of Science, with a thesis on «Life Cycle Analysis of Flexible Pavements.»

He began his career in 1987 as a Planning Engineer at the Directorate General of Highways. In 1998, he was promoted to Head of Planning Studies. In 1999, he received a scholarship from the International Road Federation and spent a year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the U.S., where he specialized in transportation network modeling, transportation economics, decision support systems, and traffic engineering.

Between 2000 and 2002, he served as Deputy Head of the Planning Department and later became Head of the Strategic Planning Department, a position he held from 2002 to 2011. In 2011, he was appointed Head of the Strategy Development Department and was promoted to Deputy Director General of Highways in 2017.

On August 11, 2023, he was appointed Head of Strategy Development at the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

Mehmet KAYIŞ, born in Darende, is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in maritime and public transportation. He holds a degree in Maritime Transportation and Management Engineering from Dokuz Eylül University and is fluent in English. Mehmet has held leadership roles at Mast Petrol Company and within the Malatya Metropolitan Municipality, including positions in Ferry Operations, Public Transportation, and Terminals. Currently, he serves as the General Manager of MOTAŞ, where he oversees the city’s public transportation services. Mehmet is recognized for his strategic leadership and operational expertise.

Göktuğ Kara graduated from TED Ankara College in 1994. He received a scholarship to study at Bilkent University and graduated from the Department of International Relations.

After graduating, he was awarded the UK Chevening Scholarship and completed his Master’s degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 1999. His thesis focused on the possible repercussions of Turkey’s exclusion from the EU enlargement process. Although he received a scholarship and acceptance to pursue a PhD at LSE, he returned to Turkey and began working at BOTAS, the Turkish State Pipeline Company, in 2000. During his tenure, he coordinated the implementation of the host country agreement for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline Project in Turkey.

Currently, he is working as a programme manager at the EU Delegation to Ankara, responsible for transport policies and infrastructure investments. He is also a part-time faculty member in the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University, where he lectures on sustainable development and climate change. To date, Kara has been instrumental in many reforms in the transport sector to align with EU policies. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Bilkent University. His doctoral research focused on Russia’s post-Cold War transformation process, particularly in the energy sector, and its connections with Russian foreign policy.

Nevzat Bayrak, born in 1981 in Samsun, is an accomplished engineer with a robust background in electrical and electronics engineering. He graduated from Karadeniz Technical University in 2004 with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and later earned a master’s degree in Electronic Engineering from Istanbul University Institute of Science and Technology in 2011.

Nevzat began his professional career in 2005 as an electronics engineer at Ülkem Elektronik San. ve Tic. A.Ş. In 2007, he joined Metro Istanbul as a signalling engineer in the Electrical-Electronic Facilities Directorate. He progressively advanced in his career, serving as M1 Electronics Chief from 2012 to 2016, Tram Operations Manager in 2016, and Strategy and Corporate Development Manager in 2018. Since February 1, 2021, he has been leading the R&D Centre at Metro Istanbul, driving innovation and technological development.

Nevzat Bayrak is married, has two children, and is proficient in English.

Şevket Altuğ TAŞDEMİR has been the Head of the International Relations Department at İLBANK since 2019, leading various international projects in collaboration with global institutions. Prior to this role, he served as a Senior Specialist in financial and portfolio management for international projects at İLBANK. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in Finance from Hacettepe University.

Ragub is a Transport Specialist at the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Transport Unit, based in Baku, Azerbaijan, a role he has held since March 2024. Prior to joining the Bank, he spent over a decade as a Transport Planner at a French engineering and consultancy firm. Throughout his career, Ragub has developed expertise in transport economics and urban mobility—particularly in bus systems planning and operations. His experience also extends to the railway, road, and logistics sectors.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the Academy of Public Administration (Azerbaijan, 2011), a Master’s degree in Economics and Governance of Territories from the University of Burgundy (France, 2013), and a second Master’s degree in Transport and Mobility from École des Ponts ParisTech and the Paris Institute of Urban Planning (France, 2014).

Mehmet Akif Erdoğan is the Deputy General Manager at Kayseri Ulaşım A.Ş., a part of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Business Administration. He has expertise in production planning, quality management systems, strategic management, business planning and efficiency.

He began his career in the textile sector, focusing on production planning, before transitioning to the public transportation sector as a Quality and Corporate Development Chief. He has also held roles as Bus Operations Manager, Strategy and Corporate Development Manager, and Operations Director. Additionally, he served as the General Secretary of the Association of All Rail System Operators (TÜRSİD) for five years.

Erdoğan has played an active role in his institution’s achievements and awards, including the Smart Financing of Public Transport Award from the International Association of Public Transport, Efficiency Awards in Public Transport Conferences, and second place in the Ministry of Industry and Technology’s Efficiency Project Awards. Erdoğan, is an ISO 9001 lead auditor and EFQM assessor, has been continuing his career at Kayseri Transportation Inc. since 2010.

He was also involved in the design and management phases of developing and implementing the kilometer-based gross contract model for private public buses in Kayseri, a first in Turkey. Erdoğan is married and has three children.

An accomplished electrical and electronics engineer with over 13 years of experience in the transportation industry, specializing in public transportation and bus maintenance. I have a proven track record in managing complex maintenance projects, developing and implementing technical specifications, and leading teams to ensure optimal operational efficiency. My career spans various roles at IETT (Istanbul Public Transportation Authority), including Technology Development Manager, Metrobus Bus Depot Manager, Business Development Engineer, and Electrical and Mechanical Maintenance Engineer. My expertise encompasses tender document preparation, technology integration, fleet management, and problem-solving in high-demand environments. As a leader with a strategic vision, I have successfully overseen the maintenance and repair of diverse bus fleets and contributed to the advancement of transportation technologies.

He is a public transport professional with over 25 years of experience in different phases, fields, and modes.

Currently, working for uitp as senior advisor to academy and head of Eurasia, responsible for peer review and assessment services as well as content management for training programs.

He completed the Ph.D. program in Business Administrations, with a thesis “Effects of Formalization of Informal Transport System on Stakeholder Satisfaction”.

He started his public transport journey in METRO ISTANBUL in 1999 and worked for six years in different positions such as signaling engineer, maintenance planning, software development engineer, risk management, etc.

He was head engineer for Kayseri rail system construction project in which later became managing director of the operator company, Kayseri Transportation. Under his management the company took over the operation of bus system including rural transport, bike sharing system, electronic fare collection, city car parking system, fiber communication backbone of the city, R&D center that developed smart traffic management and enforcement systems. Under his mandate, with his innovative approach the company received several national and international awards.

During his public transportation carrier, he worked in different fields and took different management roles like fixed installation (communication, power, track, signaling, overhead catenary) manager, RAMS&EMC manager, R&D manager, corporate development manager, construction manager, vehicles, and maintenance manager.

He was a member of the policy and executive board, and chairman of light rail division of UITP between 2015-2019. He was chairman of UITP informal Transport working group and member of presidential committee between 2019-2021. He was the president of Rail System Operators Association TÜRSİD, in Turkey. Vice president of Anatolian Rail Transportation Systems Cluster, ARUS. He was the Member of higher advisory board of Kayseri Industrial Chamber, Vice president board of Turkish quality association of Kayseri, and Member of the Advisory Board of İstanbul Technical University, Railway Safety and Security Application & Research Center.

Jaspal Singh has 16+ years of experience in mobility, innovation, and technology space. He is currently serving as the Senior Director of Membership and Global Operations (MGO) at UITP (International Association of Public Transport). His earlier roles include serving as the Manager of the IT and Innovation Committee and as the Head of the UITP India Office.

He is also the host of Mobility Innovators Podcast. He has a 360-degree view of the sector as he has worked with the public agencies, operator, startups, and consulting firms.

He is also Principal at Valoriser Consultants, Inc. specializing in new mobility, cleantech, startups, electric mobility, and ITS. Previously, he was working with a public transit authority, reforming the urban transport system in India. In past, he also worked with Uber India’s early team to navigate the regulatory challenges and build partnerships.

He has received several awards for his contribution in the field of public transport and social work, as well as has been widely quoted in publications. He completed his Master of Management and Innovation (MMIE) at Queen’s University, Canada and received his master’s in business administration specialized in International Business.

He is actively working with startups in mobility and logistics space as an advisor, mentor, and investor. Jaspal is an avid traveller and travelled to around 55 countries around the world and counting.