Zbigniew Taylor

The future of research monographs: an international set of perspectives:

This Forum makes four points. First, it expands our knowledge on the writing and publishing of research monographs in different countries and so it moves beyond accounts which generalize from the UK experience. Second, the Forum considers international differences in the ways in which the assessment of academic performances affects the writing and publishing of geography research monographs. Third, it considers the ways in which structural changes in the global publishing industry affect different national contexts unevenly. Finally, the Forums different contributions reflect on how publishing books matters (or) not to geography as a discipline.

Deregulation in Polish Rail Transport

Abstract A phenomenon new to the Polish situation—the deregulation of rail transport—is presented. Despite its primarily legal nature, deregulation also implies various economic, socio‐political and spatial consequences. The relatively short period over which partial deregulation of public transport in Poland has been in effect (i.e. since 2000) ensures that the issue has not been taken up by Polish geographers as a research field. However, it has been of interest to Polish economists. Deregulation is a phenomenon of primary importance, with direct implications for the character, quality, type, intensity and spatial differentiation of transport (including freight and passenger traffic) within the market economy. This paper, therefore, presents the impact of the recent changes in the legal system (as regards deregulation) on the current pattern of railway connections of the major carriers. As the majority of these originate beyond the Polskie Koleje Państwowe (Polish State Railways) Group, they can be said to be independent of the main former state carrier.

What Happened to the National Road Carrier in a Post-Communist Country? The Case of Poland's State Road Transport

Abstract The purpose of this article is to seek to reconstruct the ownership transformation involving Polands State Road Transport (PKS) companies passed through after 1990. Data collected from various sources (above all the Internet) were used to establish the degree of advancement of the transformation processes. Despite the passage of 18 years since the new economic reforms were launched, privatization processes are not well advanced. State ownership remains dominant, in the form of Treasury companies as well as state‐owned enterprises. Privatization processes have encompassed fewer than half of all firms, the most popular form taken (in about a quarter of all analysed cases) involving leasing by workers. This would seem of major interest, attesting as it does to the greater activity of some workers teams, as well as the passive role of the state in privatization processes. A much smaller number of firms (26) have been purchased by external investors, the only important international concern among these being Veolia, which had taken control of 11 PKS companies as of mid‐2006. By and large, it is the firms carrying passengers or passenger and goods that are in a much better situation, as opposed to the companies that are commodity‐carriers only. The majority of the latter have collapsed, or have undergone the kind of privatization that involves simultaneous shutdown. Mixed passenger and goods carriers have had to reduce their level of activity in commodity transport.

Recent Changes in Polish Transport Policy

Poland is an interesting example of a country whose transport policy is under radical modification. The operation of changing policy configuration is in accordance with economic transformation, namely from centrally planned to marketoriented economics. This paper reviews (1) the criticism of the former transport White Paper, Polityka transportowa; (2) major parliamentary documents qualifying the present approach to transport; (3) the new and completely revised approach to restructuring and privatization of railways; (4) changes in the programme of motorway construction; (5) other legislative changes in road transport; (6) ownership transformation in Polish Airlines LOT and liberalization of air‐borne traffic in Europe; and (7) changes in maritime shipping. One aspect of the Polish transport policy is that the state has almost withdrawn from urban level policy development.

Organizational and Ownership Transformation in Poland’s Urban Transport Companies

Abstract This paper seeks to reconstruct the organizational and ownership transformation involving Poland’s urban transport that companies passed through after 1990. Data collected from various sources (above all the Internet, including the Bulletins of Public Information) were used to establish the degree of advancement of the transformation processes. Despite the passage of nearly two decades since the new economic reforms were launched, the privatization processes involving enterprises of municipal origin are not well‐advanced. There is not a single private company among the organizers of urban transport. Instead, an absolute domination of budgetary‐sphere entities may be noted. Furthermore, there are seven transport municipal unions. Among the operators (carriers) public ownership remains dominant in the form of single‐person local authority companies, local government companies, municipal union ownerships, municipal companies as well as budgetary units. Privatization processes have encompassed fewer than 10% of all operators in the form of companies with foreign participation, workers’ companies and companies with Polish non‐public sector participation. Moreover, in 20 localities urban transport is supplied by multi‐trade municipal services enterprises (as of end‐2008). Thus, transformation processes, though started earlier than in the case of Poland’s State Road Transport coach companies, are much less advanced.

POLISH TRANSPORT POLICY: AN EVALUATION OF THE 1994/5 WHITE PAPER

Abstract Poland is an interesting example of a country whose economy, including transport, is under radical transformation from so-called centrally planned to market-oriented economics. This paper reviews the official government policy in relation to transport as set out in the White Paper Polityka transportowa. Irrespective of the real impact of this document on the realization of transport policy, it illustrates the way of thinking and preferences of the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Economy. On the one hand, it speaks of necessary changes, more economic autonomy and financial balance for transport, while on the other, it is against full privatization and deregulation in transport. Moreover, its discussion of how to finance transport and its approach to ecological problems, are mostly controversial.

Retail Restructuring in Polish Transitional Economy

This paper consists of two sections. The first provides a general outline of transformation processes in retailing on the national scale in the years 1988-98. Special attention is paid to the factors of retail development and stores privatisation, foreign entrepreneurship in retailing, stores fragmentation and changes in assortment. The second section comprises the empirical case study of a small town in which the changes in retailing and services observed can be studied on the micro-scale. The changes include an increase in the number of facilities, privatisation processes, changes in assortments, emergence of new crafts in services, changes in location and early stages of capital concentration. Copyright Royal Dutch Geographical Society 2001.

Geography as an academic discipline in Poland

Abstract This paper provides information on teaching and research in geography in Polish Universities. This historical background of the discipline and its development in the inter‐war years are discussed together with the main achievements and difficulties of five university centres. The development of Polish geography today is discussed in more detail highlighting its spatial concentration, the role of planning in research, its publications, the system of teaching, changing curricula, and the employment of graduates. Although its development has not been regular, geography in Poland is now well organised, in both teaching and research and has a fairly good international reputation. In spite of some resource problems in the development of research, the presence of geography in higher education seems assured.

Some comments on social transport geography

Rimmer (1978) has recently presented a framework and socio-political background for transport geography but has omitted many important issues of social transport geography. On the other hand Muller (1976)-in his othenvise excellent review articl~has concentrated mainly on North-American papers omitting references to major European studies (Hay, 1977). Examples of notable omissions are Hillman et al. (1973), Borgstrom (1974) and H611huber (1974). There are also a number of new

Współpraca touroperatorów z pozalotniczymi przewoźnikami pasażerskimi w Polsce = Cooperation of tour operators with non-air passenger carriers in Poland

Zarys treści. Poza transportem lotniczym (patrz: Taylor i Ciechański, 2015a, b), w obsłudze zorganizowanego ruchu turystycznego w Polsce, ważną rolę odgrywa transport samochodowy. W artykule przedstawia się największych przewoźników drogowych, w tym firmy wykonujące połączenia „antenowe” i w miejscu destynacji, a ponadto pozostałych przewoźników obsługujących polskich touroperatorów (statki wycieczkowe, promy, koleje). Rola tych przewoźników w polskiej turystyce jest jednak niewielka w porównaniu z przewoźnikami lotniczymi i autokarowymi1. Słowa kluczowe: przewoźnicy drogowi, statki wycieczkowe, promy, koleje, turystyka zorganizowana, touroperatorzy, Polska.