Public bus transport is still insufficient. There will be major changes in the law

• - A smaller amount of the subsidy means that local governments are forced to engage more of their own funds, which may limit the development of the connection network and lead to limited access to public transport - noted the parliamentarian.
• Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Stanisław Bukowiec recalled that with the participation of an expert team established at the ministry, a proposal for several important changes to the Bus Transport Development Fund was prepared.
• He indicated that it is possible to differentiate the amount of the surcharge depending on objective criteria. - The detailed method and procedure for determining the amount of the surcharge will be specified in the regulation, taking into account the size of the vehicle and the standards of transport and the number of residents - he explained.

MP Kłopotek pointed out in her interpellation to the Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak that the Bus Transport Development Fund (FRPA) is enjoying growing interest from local governments, which is reflected in the data on the increase in the number of subsidized communication lines in subsequent years.

- Nevertheless, there are still areas where public bus transport is still insufficient and residents struggle with difficulties in their daily commute to work, school or other important institutions - she wrote, arguing that after the approval of the possibility of concluding multi-annual contracts two years ago, it would be worth considering increasing the amount of the surcharge for 1 km of transport, which has been PLN 3 for several years.

According to the parliamentarian, its amount is not sufficient to fully cover the costs of organising transport on less profitable communication lines, especially in less urbanised and less populated areas, where the demand for public transport is particularly high, but the costs of organising it are higher.

- A smaller amount of the subsidy means that local governments are forced to engage more of their own funds, which may limit the development of the network of connections and lead to limited access to public transport. Additionally - in the face of rising inflation and dynamically increasing costs of fuel, consumables and salaries for employees of the transport sector - the costs of providing transport services are becoming increasingly higher" - noted Agnieszka Kłopotek .

According to her, increasing the subsidy amount could significantly contribute to the further development of the bus network, especially in areas that have not had access to a sufficient number of connections so far, and strengthen the effectiveness of the fund in counteracting the marginalisation of rural areas.

She asked, among other things, whether the Ministry of Infrastructure had such plans and what changes it envisaged that could contribute to more effective support for local governments in the organisation of public transport.

In response, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Stanisław Bukowiec recalled that, taking into account the need to improve access to public transport, the ministry had carried out a review of the legal basis, including the Act on Public Transport and the FRPA, as well as other legal acts.

It was conducted taking into account the Expert Team for Combating Transport Exclusion operating at the Minister of Infrastructure until 31 March 2025 , whose task was to develop and prepare legal regulations that respond to the current expectations of all entities participating in the public road transport market, including, in particular, passengers.

As a result, it was decided, among other things, that the voivodeship marshals should be appointed as transport integrators in the voivodeship , and their task will be to create and coordinate the public utility transport network in the voivodeship. In addition, integrators will be required to develop a comprehensive plan for the sustainable development of public transport (transport plan) in the voivodeship, which will be prepared on the basis of proposals from other local government units in the voivodeship.

It is also planned to establish, at the statutory level, minimum standards for the frequency and availability of public transport services .

- In addition, the province marshals will take over the tasks of the province governors in the scope of servicing the FRPA in the province . They will carry out the previous tasks of the province governors in the scope of servicing the Fund, using the funds allocated for the province, and the subsidy from the Fund will be granted only to communication lines in bus transport, which in the transport plan were defined as created in order to combat communication exclusion - explained Stanisław Bukowiec .