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This article focuses on free fare public transport policy (FFPT) as an example of the sustainable mobility paradigm FFPT is one of a number of instruments through which a balance between the economic costs and efficiency in the public transport system can be reached. Even though the strategic approach of FFPT systems is used worldwide, their implementation is somewhat sporadic. By investigating examples of currently or formerly existing free fare public transport schemes, this study analyses the overall ability of FFPT to reach the strategic targets required. The study identifies four key areas that the municipalities are trying to target (reducing car use externalities, social justice/benefits provision, increasing the efficiency of public transport, and promoting sustainable means of transportation). As the specific conditions of each locality generate particular issues, the strategy of each transport system authority differs from one to another. It is, therefore, necessary for the transport planning authorities to implement various tools (both supportive and repressive) whose synergies will target the main objectives. A systematic and conceptual approach is what underpins the successful development of the urban transport system in the long-term.

The fare-free public transport policy (FFPT), the characteristic feature of which is abolishing fares in public transport, influences the transport system in favour of one means of transport. By joining the academic disputes over the outcomes of the FFPT policy, the aim of this paper is to understand the effects of the FFPT on overall mobility strategies and on the dynamics of the transport system where the policy is implemented. To do so, the paper is analysing a concrete example of the FFPT practice in Frýdek-Místek (Czechia) by conducting surveys with the residents and interviews with the city planning authorities. The results show that the FFPT influences mobility strategies and dynamics in the given transport system, which imprints in an increased use of public transport. However, the FFPT does not represent a universal tool of urban and transport planning and its implementation into practice should take place in synergy with other transport (dis)incentives.

A policy instrument promoting a free fare public transport policy (FFPT) has recently been put into practice in 66 municipalities across Poland. By contributing to the academic debate on the concept of FFPT (e.g. Kębłowski 2019), the main goal of this paper is to create a typology of the schemes where FFPT is in operation in Poland based on analyses of a geographical mapping of these projects. This study analyses how different municipalities are implementing the concept in order to define a typology of FFTP projects and to understand how the development landscape of the urban transport system is changing in the light of free fare transport policies, topics which are not fully covered in the academic literature. The findings confirm that there is a new dynamic in the development of urban transport systems and permit the identification of key characteristics of this trend. Besides the typology of implementation of FFPT, the study also presents an up-to-date inventory of FFPT projects with the key characteristic features of each system. Although the study does not provide specific recommendations regarding the introduction of a FFPT policy, it represents a good starting point for future and more detailed studies. Such studies are necessary in order to understand the role of FFPT not only in the context of the development of a given transport system, its impact on modal split, and travel behaviour, but also to uncover the different politics which lie behind them.

In this paper, we present the vector dataset of the operational zones of e-scooter shared mobility services in the voivodeship capital cities in Poland. The data were acquired manually from the applications of a single provider of e-scooters for each city. The dataset contains not only the size and the position of the geographic service areas, or geofences of e-scooter sharing schemes, but also the size and position of no-parking zones, parking zones and low-speed zones, if applicable. The data can be used for various researches which cover the topic of micro-mobility, accessibility and broader issues connected with urban development and spatial management. The dataset captures the state of the e-scooter sharing scheme in the voivodeship capital cities in Poland at the beginning of August 2020. Additionally, the data are accompanied by the table of cities with identified providers of e-scooter sharing systems.

The need to move is an inherent feature of every human life. Public transport should be one of the means of transport available to every human being. A fare-free public transport (FFPT) policy is under constant debate. Research among residents in rural areas provides an opportunity to discover whether FFPT is a key element of socially equitable development and understand the role of price, which can, at the same time, reduce car dependency. This research aims to understand the role of public transport fares in the travel decisions of people living in non-metropolitan rural areas in Poland. The primary data source used in this study is a survey conducted with the residents of 12 peripheral communes. This study revealed that price might not be as crucial in mobility strategies regarding free or paid public transport in non-metropolitan locations. This is mainly due to the poor quality of public transport.

Underpinned by the shift towards implementing solutions supporting sustainable mobility, shared e-scooter services are evergreen in many urban areas worldwide. However, their growing use leads to new challenges connected with their operation in the urban space. This article showcases instruments called mobility points, designated to define, and improve parking practices of shared e-scooters. To evaluate the potential of mobility points fieldwork was conducted into the vectorization of shared e-scooters’ operational zones and mobility points in Cracow. The study proves that the mobility points’ visual and technical organization is adequate and thought-out in ways based on functions of the areas they are placed in. However, due to insufficient cooperation between the private and public sectors that would ensure the mobility points are virtually implemented into the service operation, the mobility points’ potential to solve parking issues is low. This calls into question their role in the sustainable mobility agenda.

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