Monday, December 23, 2013

The campaign for free public transport in Poland

Since December 2012 Free Trade Union "August 80" and Polish Labour Party are organising a nationwide campaign under the slogan "No to increases in ticket prices, yes to free public transport".
Currently, free public transport in various forms exists in Nysa and Olkuszu (for drivers), in Ząbki (for residents) and Kielce (2 free lines in the city center). In May 2014 free public transport will start in Żory. In many other cities across the country free public transit has became the subject of public debate (Radom, Chełm, Lębork, Sokołów Podlaski, Płock, Tarnów, Łódź, Opole, Elbląg, Sosnowiec, Lublin among others).
On November 1 (in Poland this is a day off work, people go to visit the graves of their loved ones) Free Trade Union "August 80", Polish Labour Party, Polish Labour Party Youth Organization and the Youth Movement (youth group of the center-left parliamentary party Your Movement) urged local councils to introduce a day with free public transport. Some cities like Białystok, Zgierz, Stargard Szczeciński, Nowogard, Lubań and Gorzów Wielkopolski decide to do so.
In March 2014 Free Trade Union "August 80" and Polish Labour Party activists (with the support of various other organisations and groups) intend to promote the idea of free public transport in other cities in Poland.