The moment had been long awaited by the Bolesławiec Bus Transport Company—or, to be precise, since the 1980s. In 2019, the company’s fleet was replaced. PKS now has nine new vehicles. The total cost was approximately PLN 1.5 million. Three new minibuses are leased for approximately PLN 800,000.
“And all this is thanks to the support of the municipalities of Bolesławiec County, funds from Bolesławiec County, and also support from the so-called Bus Fund—a government programme for maintaining or restoring unprofitable bus routes throughout Poland,” says Bolesławiec County head Tomasz Gabrysiak. “In our county, we succeeded. We created 25 routes across Bolesławiec County, as well as additional routes in Lwówek County.”
He adds:
These buses operated on the new routes throughout the last quarter. We have now submitted an application for funding for the aforementioned project in 2020. Once again, the municipalities of Bolesławiec and Lwówek counties helped us by declaring that they would co-finance these routes. The County has also secured funds for this purpose in next year’s draft budget. I hope we receive this funding and manage to create a model network of bus connections, as well as persuade the local governments of Lwówek County to participate more extensively in the project.
“When I joined the company in May, it was in intensive care with its life at risk,” stresses Łukasz Jaźwiec, head of the Bolesławiec Bus Transport Company. “Today we are no longer on a ventilator; we can focus on rehabilitation. Although it will take a very long time, the company’s situation is stable enough for us to modernise the fleet, develop and increase revenue. And this is not our last word.”
“The sight is impressive,” says Warta Bolesławiecka Municipality head Mirosław Haniszewski. “I think our residents will also benefit from the new buses.”
“The quality of PKS services is definitely improving,” states Waldemar Nalazek, head of Osiecznica Municipality. “We have been cooperating excellently with PKS for six months, and all problems are resolved on an ongoing basis. Świętoszów is 30 kilometres from Bolesławiec, and bus connections are very important, especially for young people travelling to schools in Bolesławiec.”
Andrzej Dutkowski, head of Bolesławiec Municipality, where the number of PKS services has increased by 60%:
The transport problem affected our municipality most severely because the Municipal Transport Company in Bolesławiec stopped providing public transport services. Since last year, I had been making strenuous efforts, including at the County level, to tackle the problem and try to solve it. There was neither the will nor the right atmosphere. I am glad that after the local elections, the County’s approach to the public transport problem changed.
The municipality head adds: “Private carriers would not be able to meet all the transport needs of our municipality’s residents.”
In addition to local routes, the new vehicles will serve routes to Jelenia Góra and Zielona Góra. The county-owned company also hopes that its modern fleet will attract new customers.