Sławomir Dorocki

The issue of micromobility and personal transport is more and more often undertaken in research on sustainable transport in cities. This is mainly due to the growing communication problems in urban areas, as well as the search for alternative forms of transport for cars. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to a decline in the popularity of public transport. Krakow is one of the Polish cities struggling with major communication problems. Therefore, for years, this city has been trying to reduce the number of cars and develop other forms of transport. One of the manifestations of this process is the creation of bicycle transport by the city authorities. The resulting bicycle infrastructure is now also used by electric scooters. The aim of the article is to analyze the accessibility and use of the two most popular alternative forms of personal transport among the inhabitants of Krakow – bicycles and electric scooters. The conducted research proved that the use of electric scooters is becoming more and more popular, mainly among young people, for short-distance commuting. The development of this type of transport depends on the range of these vehicles made available by private rentals.

The article contains basic information about the location and production of the industry of two and three wheeled motor vehicles (PTW). The analysis was carried out on the basis of available statistical data of producers’ associations and statistical studies. The production of motorcycles and mopeds is located mainly in economically developed regions, however, Asia (including India and China) is currently a significant market for two-wheelers. In Europe, as a result of the global financial crisis, the production volume decreased. Nowadays, the process of industrial relocation is noticeable, mainly in the economically developing region of Asia and in the USA, where the crisis has changed the preferences and transport behavior of the Americans. At the same time, in Europe, the demand for PTW depends to a large extent on the state’s communication policy and transport conditions in cities. New technological solutions introduced in PTW are important factors conditioning the development of two and three wheeled motor vehicles industry.

As the available reports and studies indicate, the market for two or three wheeled motor vehicles (Power Two- and Three-Wheelers) in Poland in the first decade of the 21st century recorded high growth. This was the result of both increasing the purchasing power and the changes in legal conditions. An important factor influencing the popularity of two-wheelers are also changes in communication preferences of Poles, caused by the increase of mobility needs and growing communication problems in cities. The changes in the number of PTW vehicles and their structure are clearly differentiated spatially compared to the country. This is mainly due to socio-economic and cultural conditions. The market for PTW vehicles is different in urban areas, where motorcycles dominate with a relatively low number of vehicles per number of inhabitants. In rural areas, saturation with PTW vehicles is higher than in cities, with the majority of mopeds and motorcycles of smaller capacity. The aim of the article is to present the changes of the PTW market in the years 2000-2017 in districts. The research was based on the data from the central register of vehicles and drivers (CEPIK), the Central Statistical Office and the Polish Automotive Industry Association.

In the colonial era, the French Republic, which currently possesses thirteen overseas dependent territories, created an empire extending to every part of the globe. The present-day Overseas France comprises areas of various status and autonomy. The topic of the article are the French overseas departments and territories (DOM-TOM), which constitute an integral part of France and the European Union. The article presents the characteristics and evolution of the DOM-TOM local government. It defines the notions of department and overseas territory and explains differences between these two units and their metropolitan counterparts. It presents the genesis and shape of Overseas France, of which the DOM-TOM is the biggest component from the point of view of both territory and population. The article was based chiefly on Polish and French academic publications, as well as legal acts and statistics. Obviously, it provides only a general outline of the problem.