Grounds and opportunities for the development of passenger and cargo shipping on the lower Vistula

Abstract

Implementation of the objectives defined in the White Paper should prompt us to consider the available opportunities for unlocking the lower Vistula’s potential for transportation, as the river could play an essential role in the context of the burgeoning Gdańsk and Gdynia seaports. In addition, on the basis of European experience, it could help reduce communication problems in the region and serve as an important tourist attraction. This article is an attempt at estimation of the demand for shipping along the lower Vistula, within the framework of which the minimum target is to restore the capacity of the 1980s: 3.5 to 4 million tons a year. With this end in mind, we should improve navigability and apply instruments for the support of inland navigation, in conformity with the transportation policy of the European Union. In respect of passenger services, the minimum target is to restore the capacity of the period between 1965 and 1985: 2 million passengers a year. A comprehensive and attractive range of services and extension of the tourist season are bound to increase this capacity. Current investments on the initiative of local self-governments – including marinas and tourist amenities – lead to improvement in navigation; they also stimulate the development of other modes of passenger transportation (urban transit and regional transit).