The fourth edition of Busworld Turkey, an international trade fair for the bus industry and accessories held from April 19 to 21 at the Istanbul Expo Centre (CNR), was indeed a great success. Covering 20,000 sq. m., the event, considered the second biggest bus fair, next only to Busworld Kortrijk, Belgium, attracted 197 exhibitors, of which 141 were local and 56 from different countries. The show also attracted 11,866 professional visitors as compared to 11,547 visitors at the previous event held in 2010.
This event was organised by HKF Trade Fairs of Istanbul jointly with Busworld International Kortrijk and with the support of the Turkish Bus Operators Federation (TOFED). Almost all the leading bus manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Temsa, Otokar, Ashok Leyland, TCV, BMC and TEZ / Autobus, as well as reputed component manufacturers like Cummins, ZF, Voith, Allison, Grammer, Hubner, Eberspacher, etc., displayed their latest innovative products at the expo.
The show was formally inaugurated by Mr. Yasar Asiler, Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Department Head, in the presence of the special invitees and other dignitaries. In his brief address he said that since the public transportation system is very critical for the growth of the Turkish economy, the Government would invest more for improving transportation systems on a regular basis.
Mr. Luc Glorieux, Founder of Busworld, in his keynote address, said his company has been successfully organising the event at various locations like Shanghai, Mumbai, Istanbul and Russia, apart from Kortrijk.
The show was highly beneficial for coach operators, bus owners as well as the general commuting public. Growing popular day by day, it has become a much sought after event among all those associated with the bus industry. The organisers have taken further initiatives to meet the challenges related to sustainable mobility, environmental safety, better transportation and solution for the struggles faced by the European coach builders on the timing system.
The overall aim of the organisers was to make Busworld the biggest and most important platform like the mother exhibition in Kortrijk. To make it even more effective, there are plans to have a new baby Busworld South America which will be held either in Colombia, Chile, Argentina or Uruguay. This is the only bus and coach exhibition organised by operators for operators, he added.
Mr. Mehmet Erdogan, TOFED President, observed that the road passenger transport industry in Turkey has an essential role to play in providing both value for the economy and employment, and also ensuring travel as a civil right by transporting people from place to place.
Road transport is the backbone of Turkey’s transportation system. Its passenger transportation industry provides facilities of global standard, and the country is recognised as a leading centre of bus production. Also, Busworld Turkey trade fair has emerged the most important event for the bus industry.
Furthermore, for the first time TOFED (Coacher Federation of Turkey) organised a special ceremony to present the Awards for Road Passenger Transportation 2011.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Mr. Bekir Cakici, General Manager, HKF Trade Fairs, said the main objective is to make Busworld an international platform for the bus as well as accessories and subcontracting industries. Since 2008, Busworld Turkey had the right to carry the prestigious event certificate approved by UFI, the global exhibition industry association.
Otokar and Cummins voted the best stands
The Best Stand Design Contest was held for the first time, and it was decided that the jury members of the contest would be the invited journalists. On the Press Day after the presentations of the exhibitor firms to the media, journalists were asked to answer which stands they liked most.
A total of 47 foreign media men from 25 countries, together with 30 Turkish media representatives, selected Otokar’s and Cummins’s stands as the Best Stand Designs.