Contracts worth PLN 270 million signed. 40 modern buses will appear on the GZM streets

Publication date: 08.05.2023

The Metropolitan Transport Authority (ZTM) has signed new transport contracts, after completion of a tendering procedure. Contracts to serve a network of connections, for a total amount of PLN 270 million and 25 million vehicle-kilometres, were awarded to the following carriers: Usługi Transportowe Pawelec Krzysztof and a consortium LZ Apolinary Lazar, Marcin Lazar S.J, and PKS Południe sp. z o.o. Both companies will need approx. 40 modern buses to carry out the new tasks.

The implementation of contracts, worth in total approx. PLN 270 million, will start on the 1st of June, this year. Connections will be ensured on approx. 20 lines in 16 cities - including Chorzów, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Gliwice, Katowice, Mikołów, Mysłowice, Orzesze, Rudziniec, Siemianowice Śląskie, Sosnowiec, Świętochłowice, Tychy, Wyry, and Zabrze. The organiser of the urban transport estimates that the carriers, to implement the contracts, will need approx. 40 modern vehicles. From the mid-year, next year, the vehicles cannot be older than 8 years. 

The new transport contracts mean improved vehicle standards 

Vehicles are systematically being replaced with more modern, more ecological, more comfortable, and safer ones. From the beginning of the last year the transport contracts have been signed, which oblige the carriers to permanently raise standards in that respect. The air conditioning, USB chargers, Internet, heating, monitoring, appropriate lighting, voice and visual information system, or solutions favourable for broadly understood safety are only some of facilities, which are a standard in the new transport contracts.

Procurement with persons with disabilities in mind 

Also the needs of persons with disabilities have been considered. The carriers will have to make sure that their vehicles will feature solutions, which facilitate travelling to just this group of passengers. They include the ‘kneel-down’ function, which allows to lower the vehicle towards the stop kerb, a hydraulic lift or an entry ramp, and special separated surfaces in buses; all these solutions are dedicated to persons moving on wheelchairs. In addition, the vehicles will have special seats, with a distinctive colour, for passengers with limited capabilities of movement, the door opening buttons with the ‘Stop’ information written in Braille, or an appropriately programmed and designed system of passenger information (audio, that is voice announcements, and visual, that is screens). 

Other solutions stipulated in the contracts include the monitoring (internal and external cameras), or an automated emission of acoustic and light signals warning of closing doors.  

Evolution of buses running in the Silesia and Zagłębie 

From the beginning of 2022 the ZTM has been signing new transport contracts with carriers, who carry out connections on the urban transport lines. They stipulate the standards applicable to, e.g., requirements set to vehicles.  

The air conditioning is a good example, which is frequently emphasised by passengers during the summer period. Still in 2020, more than a half (53%) of buses, trams, and trolleybuses were not equipped with such a system. In 2023, the situation has reversed, two out of three vehicles (64%) are equipped with the air conditioning. The growth trends, taking into account the same period, are also visible, for example, in the case of USB chargers (an increase from 30 to 52%), Wi-Fi (a growth from 39 to 60%), the passenger counting systems (a rise from 24 to 42%), or the monitoring (an increase from 52 to 70%). Also the data on the exhaust gas emission look better and better. In 2020, 38% of vehicles met the EURO 6 standard; today, this is more than a half (55%). 

 

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