The tariff in suburban bus transport in the Košice and Prešov self-governing regions is going to be changed from the summer. The current distance-based tariff will be replaced by a zone tariff with substantially broaden offer of fare types. The offer will be supplemented by single transfer tickets as well as prepaid day, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual tickets. The longer time validity of a ticket will represent the more advantageous price in terms of one journey.
The fare will not be determined based on distance travelled as it is nowadays, but it will be calculated in terms of the number of zones you will travel through. The newly introduced advantageous transfer tickets and prepaid time tickets will represent benefit mainly for regular daily commuters and passengers travelling on longer distances. The structure of discounts provided will be simplified and clearer.
Seniors aged from 63 to 70 years, who currently pay full fare, will be entitled to a half-discount fare. Also, the new tariff will bring unification and percentage increase in the discounts for all category of passengers entitled to reduced fares from the current range of 40 – 50 % to a uniform level of 50 %.
Basic fare types in terms of discounts provided:
- Basic fare – full fare
- Discounted fare – discount of 50 %
- Special fare – discount of 80 %
- Weekend fare – 1 euro per person per one connection, under specified conditions
New types of travel tickets:
- Single transfer ticket:
- A ticket valid for two connections within the journey (i.e. including one transfer), while the price of the transfer ticket for two connections will be more advantageous compared to the price that a passenger would pay for each connection separately.
- The purchase of single transfer tickets will be conditional on payment with a transport card (physical or virtual).
- Prepaid time tickets (season tickets):
- Day network ticket – unlimited number of journeys within all the IDS Východ tariff zones till the end of the day.
- Monthly zone ticket – unlimited number of journeys within the purchased zones for a period of 30 days.
Monthly network ticket – unlimited number of journeys within all the IDS Východ tariff zones for a period of 30 days. - Quarterly zone ticket – unlimited number of journeys within the purchased zones for a period of 90 days.
Quarterly network ticket – unlimited number of journeys within all the IDS Východ tariff zones for a period of 90 days. - Semi-annual zone ticket – unlimited number of journeys within the purchased zones for a period of 180 days.
Semi-annual network ticket – unlimited number of journeys within all the IDS Východ tariff zones for a period of 180 days. - Annual zone ticket – unlimited number of journeys within the purchased zones for a period of 365 days.
Annual network ticket – unlimited number of journeys within all the IDS Východ tariff zones for a period of 365 days. - Prepaid time tickets will not be available in a paper form. They will be solely uploaded on a transport card (physical or virtual).
In its first phase, the new zone tariff will be applied only in suburban bus transport. Subsequently, its gradual application also to rail passenger transport and urban public transport in individual cities of the Košice and Prešov self-governing region is envisaged.
The launch of the first phase of the IDS Východ zonal tariff is planned after the validity of new contracts with bus carriers in the Prešov self-governing region, i.e. j. from 01/01/2024. In the Košice self-governing region, new contracts with bus operators are valid from 04/01/2022.