Development of Ecological Public Transport in Poland on the Example of Selected Cities

Abstract

Transport plays a very important role in the economy. The efficient movement of both people and freight largely influences the attractiveness of countries, regions and cities. At the same time transport imposes costs on society: greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions, noise, road accidents and congestion. Currently, transport emissions account for around a quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. The changes taking place in the market, the growing environmental awareness and requirements of service users and the increasing restrictions on environmental protection are forcing the need to change the current model of development of urban transport systems to a more ecological one. The aim of this article is to analyse the conditions forcing changes in the functioning of public transport systems and to indicate possibilities of their financing. In the first part of the article, EU and national documents are presented, which define the actions to be taken within the framework of sustainable urban mobility, taking into account the aspect of environmental protection, competitiveness and satisfaction of social needs. The second part presents the possibilities of supporting pro-ecological activities from various sources in terms of innovativeness and competitiveness of transport systems.