ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERION IN THE ASSESSMENT OF INTEGRATED URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

ABSTRACT

The increase of private car share in travels causes significant difficulties in functioning of transport systems especially in large urban agglomerations. Excessive use of cars is associated with: energy consumption, traffic congestion, negative influence on the environment (increase in noise level, increase in emission of fumes), cutting up of the neighborly bonds, road accidents, destruction of urban landscape, which in turn leads to general deterioration of the quality of urban life. The main real countermeasure for public transport facing difficulties resulting from the excessive car traffic – besides restrictions in car traffic, is care for the quality of its service. Evaluation of the quality of public transport operation is a complex valuation process based on many criteria. This article shows the set of criteria which is used for assessment of public transport systems operation. The criteria related to technical, economic, social and environmental aspects are presented. The special attention was paid to the criteria related to the friendliness for transport to the environment and human. The proposal of determining the criterion of environmental friendliness, which was used for assessment of integration of urban public transport system in Krakow, is presented. The article highlights the essence of assessment, which should be carried out taking into account at least four entities: passenger, operator, transport manager, local government (municipality). The assessment allows to direct activities to obtain necessary social acceptance, allows to implement marketing activities by transport operators and promote the use of environment and human friendly transport (influence on the change of modal split in cities).

Keywords: public transport, criterion of environmental friendliness, transport integration