Polish president vetoes public transport reform

The reform would have been the largest in Polish public transport in 16 years: it provided for a nationwide minimum standard (four pairs of connections on weekdays and two on public holidays between municipalities, county towns and voivodeship capitals), on-demand rides, coordinators among the voivodeship marshals and a renamed fund against transport exclusion; according to a study, about 10 million people are affected. The veto halts the reform for now: the president objects to contracts of at most five years, to municipalities coming last in the allocation of fund money and to the lack of additional funding.

President Karol Nawrocki stopped Poland’s largest public transport reform in 16 years by veto on 20 August 2026; the act is dated 31 July 2026, and the first reading in the Sejm had been scheduled for 2 July 2026, according to a report of 6 July 2026. It provided for a nationwide minimum service (four pairs of connections on weekdays, two on public holidays), coordination by the voivodeship marshals, on-demand rides, a renamed fund against transport exclusion, seat belts in newer buses and an age limit for subsidised buses, and digital timetables; a study by four technical universities puts the number of people affected at about 10 million (almost 30% of residents). The president justifies the veto with contracts of at most five years, municipalities coming last in the allocation of fund money and the lack of additional funding, and points to his veto of similar rules in November of the previous year; the ministry says it will not give up the reform. (LOK Report, 6 Jul and 24 Aug 2026)