Concept of A System for Integrated Ticketing and Tariffs for A Given Area in Poland

Abstract

The article presents a proposal of a system for integrated ticketing and tariffs for a given area in Poland. This area is the Bydgoszcz-Toruń Metropolitan Area which is situated in Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship, in the central part of Poland. Its area has 3.4 thousand km2 and population equal to 838.6 thousand people. The concept is based on extensive research and analysis on potential development possibilities of public transport in the analysed area. The research on the current state included: rate of public transport means occupancy passengers and a survey among inhabitants concerning forms of transport they use, their preferences in the choice of transport means and assessment of the current system of ticketing and tariffs. Transport prognoses were analysed using results of simulation calculations carried out by means of prognostic transport models. These models were developed taking into consideration all real social-economic and transport conditionings of the area and for three development scenarios: optimistic, realistic (sustainable) and pessimistic (passive). Results of prognosis of the demand for public passenger transports show that in the most probable scenario (realistic), further drop in the number of passengers, carried by the public transport, will occur by 2030. Conclusions drawn from these analyses confirmed a necessity to take immediate actions to improve attractiveness of the transport system in the considered area, including implementation of modern solutions for integrated ticketing and tariffs. The proposed concept of integrated ticketing and tariffs of public transport is inspired by similar solutions implemented in other metropolitan areas of Poznań and Katowice in Poland and other agglomerations of Europe. The system involves using electronic tickets and paying from a ‘virtual wallet’ of the ticket user. The concept assumes integration of public transport in the two largest towns of the analysed region with train connections between these cities and regional passenger transports functioning on the territory of the entire area. An important element of the system is implementation of gradation of prices for single journeys (multi-change), depending on the length of the journey or e.g. range of a given transport corridor. The study presents characteristics of internal (inside transport means) and external infrastructure to be provided for the purpose of the system implementation. In the opinion of the authors, implementation of the system is expected to increase attractiveness of public transport services with simultaneous reduction in the number of journeys by individual transport means.