The new timetables of regional bus transport will come into force this weekend. The changes are intended to contribute to the improvement and systematization of public transport on several lines in the Prešov Region, they will especially affect the lines around Lipany and Giraltovce.
With effect from Sunday, March 3, there will be changes in the train traffic schedule. As a follow-up to this, several coordination changes will be implemented in the bus transport of the Prešov region, connected with the introduction of tact transport on some lines.
The most significant changes will occur in the vicinity of Lipany and Giraltovce as part of the completion of the first phase of integrated tact transport. The result will be better coordination of connections in the Lipany, Prešov and Giraltovce transit nodes, but also a more appropriate frequency of connections considering the number of passengers at peak times. It goes without saying that the regularity and time reliability of connections will increase, as well as the unification of the range of stops on the lines.
“We can already say from our own experience that the tact system of lines and connections brings significant positive changes in passenger transportation. Everywhere, where in-depth systemic changes have been implemented in the timetables according to the principles of IDS, we observe an increased interest of the traveling public already after the first year of operation – on average, this is a five percent year-on-year increase in the number of passengers on the line. This is an obvious contrast with the long-term downward trend in the number of passengers wherever system changes have not been implemented. Departures of connections at regular intervals and reliable connections are therefore a proven recipe for increasing the attractiveness of public transport, and thus its sustainability from the financial point of view,” said the president of the Prešov self-governing region, Milan Majerský.
On the section Lipany – Stará Ľubovňa, there will be an increase in the number of tact connections with trains on the lines Lipany – Prešov – Košice and Stará Ľubovňa – Kežmarok – Poprad. On the Lipany – Prešov section, timetables will be adjusted, especially in the morning rush hour, so that the time periods with the highest number of transported passengers are more adequately covered and at the same time the reliability of the timetables is increased. Along with this, there will be an improvement in the transfer connections in Lipany from several nearby villages to the connection towards Prešov, and inthe opposite direction, respectively.
The attractiveness of traffic will increase significantly on the Prešov – Giraltovce – Stropkov section, where a regular 60-minute interval of connections in both directions will be ensured on weekdays, combined with a significant increase in the number of direct connections on the route, as well as the elimination of impractical exceptions to the operation of connections during of the year.
In the direction of Prešov – Fijaš – Stropkov, instead of today’s ten connections with unclear departure times, 13 direct connections will run every hour. Similarly, there will be systematization and an increase in the number of connections in the opposite direction. The range of stops will be unified, the driving time of all connections will be standardized and coordination with other lines in the Prešov and Giraltovce nodes will be ensured.
Thanks to the coordination and improvement of the quality of traffic on the routes Prešov – Giraltovce – Svidník and Prešov – Giraltovce – Stropkov, the unproductive time overlaps of connections that were typical for the route Giraltovce – Prešov will be eliminated. In this exposed section, a 30-minute interval of connections will be ensured during the working days, and at selected peak times by up to a 15-minute interval.
Tact traffic will also be introduced on the line Stará Ľubovňa – Sulín/Legnava. From March 3, passengers can also expect a reduction in transfer times when traveling from Kežmark to Prešov with a transfer in Levoča. During rush hour, the timing of departures of express services on the highway on the route Prešov – Košice will be improved.
Since these are extensive changes, IDS Východ expects comments and requests from passengers, which will be assessed and evaluated in detail, with the possibility of incorporating them into further changes to the timetables. Any suggestions and comments must be send in the form of an e-form on the website www.idsvychod.sk.
In addition to the mentioned routes and regions, a number of minor coordination measures will be implemented at the beginning of March based on justified requests of passengers and carriers, or due to road closures. Passengers should therefore check their connections during the weekend at www.cp.sk.
TS: PSK, IDS Východ
Photo: shutterstock
