With the support of the Social Innovation Agency (SİA), established in cooperation with Konya Metropolitan Municipality and Necmettin Erbakan University, the "Courtesy and Etiquette in Traffic Workshop" was held under the coordination of the Konya Provincial Directorate of National Education.
Konya Provincial Director of National Education Murat Yiğit, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay, Konya Governor İbrahim Akın, Konya Provincial Police Chief Maksut Yüksek, Konya Technical University Rector Prof. Dr. Osman Nuri Çelik and officials from relevant institutions attended the workshop held in Konya Metropolitan Municipality Taş Bina Culture and Arts.
Educators Emphasize Kindness
Speaking at the workshop, Konya Provincial Director of National Education Murat Yiğit stated that the concept of traffic today reflects not only the vehicle movement on the roads but also people's approaches to life and rules. Yiğit, who touched on the importance of drivers obeying the rules and being understanding and courteous so that increasing vehicle traffic does not negatively affect the flow of life and human psychology, said, “Indeed, it is essential for all drivers to approach the issue with the perspective of 'the most valid and greatest rule in traffic is courteousness'. At this point, it is obvious how much work is needed under the guidance of us educators.”
President Altay: “Behaviors in Traffic Are a Reflection of Moral Stance”
Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay also drew attention to the fact that behavior in traffic is a small but telling reflection of moral stance. Mayor Altay said, “Today, we are not just talking about traffic. In fact, we are talking about civilization, social harmony, and the effort to rebuild a culture of life that centers on people. The size of cities is not measured only by their population; it is measured by the respect that the people living in that city have for each other, the compliance with the rules, and the sensitivity to look out for the rights of others.”
“This is an area of social responsibility”
Emphasizing that they do not only address traffic safety with physical regulations, President Altay said, “We are also conducting various projects in order to contribute to the transformation of social behavior patterns. We strive to contribute to this transformation with the education and awareness-raising activities we conduct with our children in our schools, our youth on campuses, and our colleagues within the institution. However, we know that the issue is not simple enough to be solved with the responsibility of only one institution or a few initiatives. This issue is an area of social responsibility where all stakeholders must come together to produce solutions. For this reason, I would like to express that this workshop held today is extremely valuable.”
Governor Akın: “We are Putting Our Signature of Civilization on Konya’s Future”
Konya Governor İbrahim Akın stated that they took steps to strengthen the culture of courtesy and etiquette in traffic, primarily in schools, driving schools, with teachers and administrators, within the scope of the workshop. Emphasizing that not only roads but also lives intersect in traffic, Governor Akın said, “I believe that our workshop is the most special indicator of the will to build city culture together. Here, we talk about traffic problems, search for solutions together, produce common sense so that courtesy, patience and respect can be embedded in every corner of the city; we leave a civilization mark on Konya’s future.”
Governor Akın reminded that they said “we do not want to lose any of our lives in traffic” in the first meeting of the project and said, “We are here today with the same sensitivity. Because we know that traffic is not only a transportation issue, it is a culture of life. I believe that Konya will carry its pioneering stance in every field to traffic and will be a model for Türkiye. Our project on courtesy and etiquette in traffic will be continued as a manifestation of this perspective.”
Following the speeches, representatives from the Provincial Directorate of National Education, Konya Metropolitan Municipality and Provincial Police Department made presentations on the subject. After the presentations, workshop sessions began.
