Jakub Łodziński

Transport activities are a significant factor in environmental pollution, especially in cities. Therefore, measures aimed at electrification of public transport are particularly important. The aim of the paper is to present the origins, status and development dynamics of electromobility in Polish cities, especially the second generation of electromobility, i.e. vehicles that do not require continuous connection to the energy source. In practice the second-generation electric vehicles can be identified with battery-powered vehicles, hydrogen and hybrid vehicles. The study was prepared on the basis of an analysis of literature, industry documents or development strategies. In addition, a database of information on zero- and low-emission vehicles in public transport (i.e. electric and hybrid buses) was compiled to analyse the phenomenon. The study shows that the implementation of electromobility in Poland has already emerged from the initial phase. The possibilities for developing battery technology vary in cities of different sizes. In 2021 in Poland, the share of low-emission buses in the public transport fleet was several times higher than that of electric vehicles among passenger vehicles. It is most likely that the Polish road to electromobility leads primarily through public transport. The following factors influencing the development of electromobility were identified: these were primarily EU and Polish legislation and regulations, the presence of manufacturers of rolling stock and electrotechnical equipment, and – at the local scale – organisational, economic and social issues.

W pracy przedstawiono funkcjonowanie infrastruktury służącej do odprawy pasażerskiej, zarówno miejsc odjazdów autobusów PKS, jak i przewoźników prywatnych, w małych miastach województwa podkarpackiego: Leżajsku, Lubaczowie, Łańcucie oraz Przeworsku. Położenie dworców w przestrzeni miejskiej, forma ich organizacji oraz komfort zapewniany pasażerom cechują się znacznym zróżnicowaniem. Przyczyną dzisiejszego stanu są przemiany własnościowe i organizacyjne, jakie zaszły w ostatnich dekadach, zarówno w całej branży przewozów autobusowych, jak i indywidualnie w przypadkach konkretnych obiektów dworcowych. Przy pomocy autorskiego wskaźnika określono rozmieszczenie dworców względem najważniejszych obiektów infrastruktury publicznej; zidentyfikowano także zagospodarowanie funkcjonalne najbliższego otoczenia. W rozpatrywanej próbie dominują negatywne przykłady przemian infrastruktury. Większość miejsc odprawy pasażerskiej nie zapewnia pasażerom podstawowych udogodnień – jedynie trzy obiekty posiadają wszystkie wymagane prawem podstawowe elementy dworca.

Location and operation of bus stations in selected small towns in Podkarpackie Voivodeship

The paper presents the functioning of the infrastructure used for passenger check-in, both for PKS bus departure points and private carriers, in small towns in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship: Leżajsk, Lubaczów, Łańcut and Przeworsk. The location of the stations in urban space, the form of their organisation and the comfort provided to passengers vary greatly between stations. Among the reason for their current state are organizational transformations and ownership changes that have taken place over the last decades, both in the whole bus transport industry and individually in the case of specific stations. The custom indicator has been used to determine the distribution of stations in relation to the most important public infrastructure facilities; functional development of the nearest surroundings has also been identified. Negative examples of infrastructure transformation prevail in analysed sample. Most check-in places do not provide passengers with basic amenities – only three objects have all the basic elements of a station required by law.

Keywords: public transport, bus station, small towns, Podkarpackie Voivodeship