GROWTH OF TRANSPORT INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN POLAND

Transcription

1 GROWTH OF TRANSPORT INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN POLAND Beata Skowron- Grabowska 1, Katarzyna Sukiennik 2, Tomasz Szczepanik 3 Prof 1, PhD 2, MSc 3 Czestochowa University of Technology, Faculty of Management Abstract: This article addresses the issues related to transport and the number of motor cars and trucks in the Polish market. Nowadays a lot of people own a car. That is why the number of vehicles, both new and second-hand ones, is constantly growing. This phenomenon is beneficial for the economic development of the country and society. Key words: transport, motor cars, trucks 1.Transport in Poland Transport plays a fundamental role because everyone takes advantage of it every day. It is used for private as well as for business purposes. Transportation greatly contributes to the development of different areas of life and economy. There are many different modes of transport, and yet new and better transport solutions are being looked for. The improvement of transport technologies is connected with its rapid growth and new possibilities for carrying goods and people. In literature we can find many definitions referring to that field. Transportation can be defined as meeting the natural human need for mobility. This indicates that every business and social activity is accompanied by transport.[7] It can be described as an activity involving the provision of services for a consideration, resulting in the movement of people and / or cargo from the point of origin to the point of destination, and the provision of other directly linked services.[9] Transport came into being due to growing human needs, such as both traditional and contemporary spatial, economic, technological, production, cooperative and social factors, which in consequence made transport necessary. In literature, among the most frequently cited sources of transportation needs are: geographical differences, specialization of production, political and military goals, social relations, cultural events, population distribution, and others including the development of knowledge, science and technology, automation, precision products manufacturing, operating considerable weight of goods, marketing and market research.[7] The transport market depends on the relationships between buyers and sellers of transportation services. The market is a collection of buyers and sellers who carry out transactions relating to specific services such as transportation. These transactions can be made in person, by phone, by mail etc. The owner of the goods or the person possessing the freight, chooses a specific mode of transport, designed to allow the shipment of cargo to the place of destination, on the basis of the following criteria: the speed (time) of delivery, the frequency and regularity of services supplied, the promptness of delivery, and cargo security.[7] An important feature of the transport market is its competitiveness. Companies are forced to vie for the customer to remain in the market.

2 The most popular and most commonly used mode of transport is road transport (car transport). It consists in transporting people and goods with the use of cars. This mode of transport is characterized by high speed and flexibility, resulting from the development of road network which enables carrying passengers or goods directly to their destination.[12] No other mode of transport has become as popular as road transport in the last 100 years.[10] Road transport services are provided by small, family-owned businesses having a few cars at their disposal as well as companies with a fleet of several hundred vehicles. To cope with the fierce competition, smaller carriers sometimes form cooperatives, which use their fleet together as umbrella companies.[6] The primary source of competitive advantage is the efficiency of actions undertaken by an operator when supplying the market with a product. Each service contributes to the value of a product.[3] That is why, more and more companies adapt their services to their customers and suppliers by building an integrated value chain.[8] The purpose of the national transport policy is to meet reasonable expectations of people whose mobility has increased. This mobility is connected with a rise in demand for transport availability.[15] Taking into account a long-term under-investment in the transport system, the first shortterm objective of transport policy should be the creation of integrated databases and knowledge bases.[1] Well-functioning transport, its consistency with other branches of national economy and funds for its development enable its smooth functioning in the national economy of the state.[9] Transportation is used in the wider economy such as industry, construction and agriculture. Therefore, it is important to finance investments aiming at the improvements to the Polish transport infrastructure which requires corrective action and investment. These investments should consist in the construction of expressways, highways, and modernization of national roads. Different sources of road financing are used for a better use of car transport.[5] They are, among others, funds from general taxation, taxes paid by all road users in the form of registration fees, road taxes and excise taxes on fuel. The money also comes from surcharges on fuel and some goods, e.g. cars, related directly to the use of roads, from vignette fees paid for the use of some road network of the country, as well as from loans and borrowings specifically for the construction of roads. As for the European Union countries, they may be also presented with non-repayable grants from special funds. However, this source of funding does not apply equally to all members of the Union.[6] Global functioning of transport is associated with the need to develop new solutions and overcome obstacles resulting from the diversity of transport infrastructure in the EU countries.[4] Transport in Poland and other EU countries is very important and thus its development should become a high priority. 2.Motor car transport Automobile transport is usually for private purposes. However, one should remember that this mode of transport can be useful for shipment of small goods, and that it serves professionals, such as sales representatives, in their professional activity. Road transport is defined as a journey of a vehicle which takes place in whole or in part on public roads. The vehicle can be loaded or unloaded and it is

3 used both to transport people and freight.[3] The number of motor cars in Poland in the years was as follows: Graph 1 The number of motor cars in in Poland. Source:[16] In the years there was an increase in the number of motor cars in Poland. The number rose from in 2005 to in The slightest rise in the number of cars was observed between 2008 and 2009; the increase was only 415 thousand. The situation in individual voivodeships is illustrated in Graph Graph 2 The number of motor cars in 2013, by voivodeship. Source: [16] The graph above shows the number of automobiles in particular voivodeships. The total number of cars in Poland in 2013 was Most cars of this type were in Masovian Voivodeship. In 2013 there were This number may have resulted from the number of inhabitants and the economic development of the

4 region. The smallest number of motor cars in the same year was in Opole Voivodeship. It amounted to vehicles. In Silesia the number of vehicles exceeded 2 million. The data suggests that in well developed regions, the number of people using cars is high. The age of the vehicles used in 2013 is presented in Graph year 2 years 3 years 4-5 years 6 and older Graph 3 The number of motor cars with reference to age. Source: [16] In Poland, the number of cars older than five years is still very high. In 2013 there were as many as of them. In the same year there were only new cars. This low number is certainly connected with the fact that new cars are still too expensive for many Poles. People often buy older vehicles because of the financial situation. The motor car market is specific due to the differences in customer tastes. A person buying a new vehicle often takes into consideration its price as well as appearance and cost- effectiveness. 3.Road freight transport Road freight transport continues to grow, causing an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads. This situation has a direct impact on the deterioration of driving comfort and the reduction of road safety.[12] Transport safety can be defined as the property of the transport process characterized by the absence of risks to human health and the risks to goods involved in the process, as well as the practical guarantee of the absence of threats in the foreseeable future.[13] According to statistics, road transport is the most dangerous mode of transport. The elements that affect the level of safety are mainly: road infrastructure, means of transport and the human factor. Many associations and organizations are committed to improving road safety.[7] The development of road network and the construction of new highways is a very important feature of the improved transport. The development of transport has a negative impact on the environment.[11] However, the benefits of the use of freight transport for society as a whole are so great that people are willing to incur the costs related to the impact of this type of transport on the environment. The number of trucks in increased, as shown in Graph 4.

5 3 500, , , , , , , , , , , , ,00 500,00 0, Graph 4 The number of trucks, pick-ups and cabover trucks in Poland in the years Source: [16] The number of trucks in the years analyzed grew, as they are generally used for commercial purposes. In 2005, the number of these vehicles was 2 304, saw a decrease in the number of trucks. It came to 2 251,5. However, in 2013 their number exceeded Freight transport makes use of both new and old vehicles. Trucks are more durable in comparison to automobiles, for which making such high mileage would result in their total damage. According to data, in 2011 the number of vehicles not older than one year was 77 63, while of the cars 6 or more years old [16] Freight transport is characterized by various types of cargo that must be delivered undamaged in the appropriate time. The best solution for transport companies would be having a fleet of modern vehicles. That, however, would involve a huge cost of purchasing new cars. Many companies use external financing sources such as leasing, which is one of the most popular methods of financing fixed assets in enterprises.[14] Some companies opt for loans and other forms of financing. Conclusion To sum up, transport can offer direct shipments from almost every place of origin to each place of receipt, at any time and with high frequency. The increasing number of vehicles indicates the need for continuous monitoring of transport infrastructure and transport fleet. Road transport of people and goods is most popular in Poland because cars are easy to acquire and because of the competitive price of delivery of cargo or people in comparison to other modes of transport. Satisfactory transport infrastructure ought to be the primary goal of the state.

6 BIBLIOGRAPHY [1] ADAMSKI, A.: Inteligentne systemy transportowe: sterowanie, nadzór i zarządzanie.- Uczelniane Wydawnictwo Naukowo- Dydaktyczne, Kraków, 2003.p. 31. [2] BRZOZOWSKA, A.: Znaczenie procesów integracyjnych w zarządzaniu w sektorze agrobiznesu[w:]man, M., NOWICKA-SKOWRON, M.: Problemy innowacyjno-rozwojowe w zarządzaniu przedsiębiorstwem.-wyd. Wydziału Zarządzania Politechniki Częstochowskiej, Częstochowa, p. 134 [3] CZAPNIEWSKI, A., ZAGRODZKA, A., ADANETZ, W.: Czas pracy kierowcy i tachografy.- Wyd. Fundacji Akademii Transportu, Bydgoszcz, p. 12. [4] HARRISON, A., REMKO VAN HOEK.: Zarządzanie logistyką.- PWE, Warszawa, p [5] LIBERADZKI, B., MINDUR, L.: Nowe wyzwania, nowe rozwiązania.- Wyd. Instytut Logistyki i Magazynowania, Poznań, p.240. [6] NEIDER, J.: Transport międzynarodowy.- Wyd. PWE, Warszawa, p [7] MINDUR, L. (red.).: Technologie transportowe XXI wieku.- Wyd. Państwowy Instytut Badawczy, Warszawa- Radom, p. 13, 20-26, [8] PORTER, M. E.: Porter o konkurencji.- PWE, Warszawa, p [9] RYDZKOWSKI, W., WOJEWÓDZKA KRÓL K. (red.).: Transport.- Wyd. Naukowe PWN, Warszawa, p. 1. [10] SEMENOV, I.N. (red.).: Zintegrowane łańcuchy transportowe.- Wyd. Difin, Warszawa, 2008.p. 27. [11] SKOWRON GRABOWSKA, B.(red.).: Zarządzanie łańcuchem dostaw w teorii i praktyce.- Wyd. Wydziału Zarządzania Politechniki Częstochowskiej, Częstochowa, p.115. [12] STAJNIAK, M., HAJNUL, M., FOLTYŃSKI, M., KRUPA, A.: Transport i spedycja.- Wyd. Biblioteka Logistyczna, Poznań, p.11, [13] WAWRZYŃSKI, W.: Bezpieczeństwo systemów sterowania w transporcie.- Wyd. Instytut Technologii Eksploatacji, Warszawa-Radom, p. 9. [14] WYSŁOCKA, E., SZCZEPANIAK, W.: The effectiveness of leasing as a method of financing the development of a company.- Polish Journal of Magamenent Studies vol. 6, Faculty of Management, Czestochowa, p [15] [16]