Transport Exclusion in Small and Medium-Sized Towns – How Can It Be Addressed?
The lack of access to efficient public transportation is one of the social and economic challenges faced today by smaller towns. Transport exclusion limits residents’ mobility, hampers the development of the local economy, and makes it difficult to ensure equal access to education, culture, and services. Participants of a panel held during the Local Government Forum in Zakopane discussed solutions that could address the problem of transport exclusion.
The panel was moderated by Paweł Nowak – President of the Management Board of the Wieliczka Transport Company Sp. z o.o.
The panelists were:
- Tadeusz Zaremba – Starosta of Nowy Sącz County
- Radosław Włoszek – President of the Management Board of “Koleje Małopolskie”
- Monika Skowrońska-Ziomek – President of the Management Board of the Podkarpackie Branch of the Association Women in the Center
- Jakub Giza – Director for the Development of Sustainable Urban Mobility, Nextbike Polska S.A.
- Wioleta Mądrawska – Councillor of Jabłonna Municipality
- Maciej Mysona – Director of the Consulting and Strategy Division, TOR Economic Advisors Team
The discussion began with the question of how transport exclusion is understood and what it means in practice.
According to Maciej Mysona, it is mainly a problem for young people, whose social and cultural life ends after 6 p.m., because that is when their last bus home departs. This prevents them from participating in cultural and social life.
Tadeusz Zaremba argued that the problem arises when heavy buses cannot be routed due to unsuitable roads.
Monika Skowrońska-Ziomek agreed with the previous speaker, saying that these are problems related to infrastructure and inadequate roads.
Wioleta Mądrowska observed that infrastructure is not keeping up with residents’ needs; in places where infrastructure was planned, apartment blocks have instead been built. She also pointed out that public transport routes are not adapted to work, education, or cultural needs.
Answering the question about the scale of transport exclusion, Maciej Mysona noted that there is a lack of information on what runs and where. He also raised the problem of insufficient digitalization of transport data and the absence in Poland of standards, specific laws, and a legal framework related to transportation.
Next, the role of Koleje Małopolskie was discussed. Radosław Włoszek noted that passenger flows include not only residents but also tourists. Rail has enormous transport capacity. Among young people in large cities there is a trend of abandoning efforts to obtain a driving licence and shifting toward using public transportation.
The next topic concerned the social and local perspective on transport exclusion.
According to Monika Skowrońska-Ziomek, transport exclusion significantly hampers social participation. In her view, private bus companies needlessly compete with local governments, although conditions for cooperation exist. A problem is also the presence of divergent interest groups (youth, workers, seniors), which want public transportation to operate at different times. There is also a lack of education and promotion of public transport as a means of getting around.
Wioleta Mądrawska pointed out that in the Mazovian Voivodeship small carriers withdrew due to high costs, and the municipality had to take over public transport. Being close to large agglomerations, such as Warsaw, brings benefits. A major issue is the lack of financial stability and the related implementation contracts, clarity of regulations, and adaptation to needs.
Speaking about mobility in small towns, Jakub Giza discussed the alternative provided by bicycles. He pointed out that cars in small towns create traffic jams and take up parking spaces. Bicycles only require roads passable for cycling; they do not require large or expensive infrastructure, and they offer young people an alternative for getting to a train station or another transfer point.
Radosław Włoszek drew attention to the issue of how much space such a bicycle occupies in a train or in public transport vehicles.
Next, Maciej Mysona highlighted what could be implemented in the Polish market. He presented the examples of the Czech Republic and Slovakia – where the foundation is changing the legislative system to a more centralized one, relieving municipalities of responsibility, ensuring stable financing, and digitalization.
Jakub Giza concluded the panel by saying: “A developed country is not a country where poor people drive cars, but a country where rich people take the train.”
