Urban public transport has been running to the village of Podhradík (Prešov district) since the new year. The benefits for its residents are regular connections, faster boarding and advantageous subscription tickets.
From January 1, 2024, a new traffic service system will operate in Podhradík village and Vyšná Šebastová village. Regional bus transport was fully replaced by urban public transport (MHD). The villages are served by lines of the Transport Company of the City of Prešov (DPMP) no. 13, extended from Vyšná Šebastová to Podhradík. The Prešov self-governing region participates in the financing of the line together with the City of Prešov and the affected municipalities. The method of reorganization of the traffic service was designed and developed by IDS Východ, s.r.o. – organizer of integrated transport in eastern Slovakia.
“In addition to increasing the quality of services, with this step we have also achieved a higher efficiency of operation, since instead of parallel connections of regional bus transport and public transport to Vyšná Šebastová, there is now only one line that runs to the village of Podhradík. For passengers, this primarily means that they can use convenient time tickets, valid throughout Prešov and selected villages. Transport has a regular tact nature, including coverage of weekends and holidays. Boarding the buses is possible through all doors, so transportation is faster,” said the president of the Prešov Self-Governing Region (PSK) Milan Majerský.
The introduction of public transport in the Podhradík village has, after many years, met the demands of the citizens of this village who commute to Prešov daily for work, school or other duties. “The main benefit is definitely the strengthened connection intervals during weekdays, but also on weekends. Residents also praise the possibility of purchasing subscription tickets, which represents financial savings for them when traveling regularly. Low-floor buses adapted for passengers with reduced mobility are also an advantage,” said the mayor of Podhradík, Rudolf Vysoký.
There are three bus stops in Podhradík. Services run on the route Veľká pošta – Čierny most – Rusínska – Jurkovičova – Karpatská – Ľubotice – Pažica – Herlianska – Kamence – Rázc. Vyšná Šebastová – Vyšná Šebastová (North) – Nižný konej – Podhradík and back.
The changes naturally also concern the village of Vyšná Šebastová. Mayor Marián Beluško perceives the changes positively, especially in relation to the financing of transport, since now the village of Podhradík also participates in the financing of the line. “Strengths are a fairer distribution of costs, more frequent connection intervals, high-quality accessibility of the Sekčov housing estate, where shopping centers are concentrated, as well as convenient travel with subscription tickets. Of course, passengers must get used to the more complicated accessibility of the hospital and the bus station, which is a logical consequence for the cancellation of the SAD Prešov line,” said the mayor, while also highlighting the professional approach and cooperation of PSK, DPMP and the organizer IDS Východ.
According to the Transport Company of the city of Prešov, the majority of passengers accepted the changes positively. “The extension of line no.13 is a new situation for us a carrier, since for the first time in history we are operating a public transport line that, in addition to the city of Prešov, connects 3 other villages – Ľubotice, Vyšná Šebastová and Podhradík. Among the busiest are the morning connections between seven and eight o’clock, which a large number of passengers use to transfer to the school in Ľubotice and to the center of Prešov,” said the Transport Company of the city of Prešov, a.s., which continuously monitors and evaluates the situation, with the possibility of future adjustments to the timetable based on knowledge gained from operation during the first months.
Press release: PSK, IDS Východ
