Bursa Metropolitan Municipality’s transportation company BURULAŞ, which continues its work with the aim of making urban transportation more modern, environmentally friendly and accessible, is celebrating its 27th anniversary. Stating that they have rejuvenated the transportation fleet and made it more comfortable, Mayor Mustafa Bozbey said, “As BURULAŞ, we are opening a new page in Bursa’s maritime transportation. We are adding strength to our city’s maritime trade and tourism by purchasing 2 cruise ships.”
BURULAŞ, one of the affiliates of the Metropolitan Municipality that provides services for the comfortable and safe transportation of the people of Bursa, is celebrating the 27th anniversary of its establishment. Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey, as well as the previous mayors of the Metropolitan Municipality Erdem Saker and Recep Altepe, Metropolitan Municipality Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ergül Halisçelik, Assistant Secretary Generals, BURULAŞ General Manager Fahrettin Beşli, representatives of political parties, representatives of professional chambers and civil society organizations and municipality personnel attended the ceremony held at the BURULAŞ Main Building RS Maintenance Workshop. The program began with a film screening that narrated the 27-year history of BURULAŞ. The company's veteran employees also took the floor and expressed their feelings, and BURULAŞ's services were also explained with a short video.
“We have started to implement many projects”
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey thanked those who contributed to BURULAŞ, which celebrated its 27th anniversary, by stating that Erdem Saker, Erdoğan Bilenser, Hikmet Şahin, Recep Altepe and Alinur Aktaş made contributions. Stating that Bursa Metropolitan Municipality is a very strong family, Mayor Mustafa Bozbey stated that they always aim to make the people of Bursa happy and to transport the people of Bursa from one place to another safely and comfortably. Stating that the BURULAŞ family works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, day and night, Mayor Bozbey said, “I would like to thank all of our colleagues, the management and employees of private public buses. BURULAŞ is a structure that contributes to the growth and modernization of our city beyond being a transportation company. Transportation is one of the lifeblood of cities. If there is a problem here, everyone's life is affected. For this reason, we know that BURULAŞ must work systematically and be open to continuous development. We continue to produce projects with this awareness. "Since the day we took office, we have started to implement many projects in an effort to build on the work done before," he said.
“Maritime trade and tourism will be strengthened with 2 cruise ships”
Stating that they have both rejuvenated the fleet and made the public transportation system more comfortable and accessible, President Bozbey said that they will add strength to the transportation network with 10 new articulated buses, 2 double-decker buses and 3 electric buses. Stating that they aim to minimize the transportation problem in Bursa, President Bozbey said, “We aim to relieve urban traffic with our 20 8-meter buses. In addition, we will take these goals even further with projects such as Üçevler West Bus Garage and Old West Garage. Sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation is among our priorities. For this purpose, we are adding electric buses to our fleet and working to leave a cleaner Bursa for the future by reducing carbon emissions. As BURULAŞ, we are opening a new page in Bursa's maritime transportation. We are starting intra-bay transportation by purchasing 2 cruise ships. This initiative will also increase Bursa's economic power. Our goal is to create a route where someone leaving Uludağ can go to Istanbul with a transfer.”
“We both protect nature and reduce transportation costs”
Emphasizing that they respect the right of transportation of every individual living in the city, Mayor Bozbey explained that they have developed solutions for the difficulties that especially individuals with special needs face in transportation. Stating that drivers are given safe driving training and that they have eliminated communication barriers with sign language training, Mayor Bozbey stated that they have developed summer and winter air conditioning systems and have offered a more comfortable travel experience for everyone. Reminding that they have also established a solar energy plant in Bursaray Operation and Maintenance Services Center for a cleaner environment, Mayor Bozbey said, “This plant with a power of 1375 kilowatts and an annual energy production of 1.5 million kilowatt-hours demonstrates BURULAŞ’s commitment to an environmentally friendly and sustainable future vision. With this project, we are both protecting nature and creating a sustainable financial structure by reducing transportation costs. We know that the future of Bursa lies in green and clean energy. While strengthening the transportation infrastructure of our city, we are also considering financial balances. "We have restructured the tax and social security debt of 1.5 billion TL and paid 450 million TL of BURULAŞ's debt to date. We are carrying out the process by reducing our debt," he said.
“Our work on the Çalı-Demirtaş line has started”
Expressing that BURULAŞ is an institution that plans not only today’s transportation but also the future, President Bozbey said, “The steps we have taken so far are only the beginning. In the coming years, we will increase the number of our electric vehicles and develop our rail systems. Our work on the Çalı-Demirtaş line has started. We are starting project work. We have projects related to the tram. Of course, these will not be enough. Transportation is an important problem for us, along with traffic. When we facilitate transportation and increase the use of public transportation, traffic will also ease. We know that school and factory shuttles are busy in the city. We are aware that a significant portion of traffic congestion comes from here. We expect users to act together with us in the steps we will take on these issues from now on. While celebrating the 27th anniversary of BURULAŞ, we actually share our excitement for the future of Bursa. I would like to thank all BURULAŞ employees who have contributed to this journey, who have worked day and night, our technical team, our drivers, our managers and most importantly, the valuable people of Bursa who trust us.”
Former Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Erdem Saker talked about the plans that BURULAŞ and Bursaray put forward during their establishment and the systems they took as examples. Saker, who recommended that bus lines perpendicular to Bursaray be established and that people be encouraged to travel with connections, expressed that the BURULAŞ family serves the people of Bursa 365 hours a day, 24 days a year, and celebrated the 27th anniversary of BURULAŞ.
Former Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Recep Altepe thanked Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey and General Manager Fahrettin Beşli for the beautiful picture created in Bursa. Altepe, who stated that one of the most important establishments of Bursa is BURULAŞ, said that they have experienced the developments together since the establishment and that is why he is very excited. Expressing that working for the happiness of people is a beautiful feeling, Altepe thanked everyone who has worked so far and wished them success in their work.
BURULAŞ General Manager Fahrettin Beşli explained that BURULAŞ was established 27 years ago in order to carry the public transportation consisting of minibuses, buses and buses in Bursa to a higher capacity, more qualified, safer and more efficient level. Beşli stated that 4 years after its establishment, Bursaray started service with 17 vehicles at 17 stations on a 48-kilometer line; “Bursaray provides service with a total of 40 vehicles, 40 of which are trains and 138 are trams, at 23 stations on a 161-kilometer line, and that BURULAŞ carried 27 million passengers per year with a total of 1954 vehicles at the end of 330 years.
After the speeches, a mini concert was given by the choir formed by BURULAŞ employees. The program ended with the cutting of the 27th anniversary cake with the participation of President Mustafa Bozbey and his entourage.
