370
M. Gor˛ aczko and K. Kubiak-Wójcicka
thus noting a decrease by 432 thousand tons in relation to the previous year (about
7%), with a simultaneous increase in transport performance by 45 million t km.
In comparison with 2014, this means a decrease in freight transport by 1851 thousand tons (by 24.3%) and an increase in transport performance by 99 million t km
(by 12.7%). In the period 2014–2017, the best year was 2015, when the weight of
cargo transported by waterways amounted to nearly 12,000 tons [1]. Under these
conditions, running a business focused on water transport is characterized by high
uncertainty as to its economic viability. No wonder that a significant part of the units
belonging to Polish shipowners (fourth fleet in Europe, in terms of the number of
barges) performs transport abroad, mainly in Germany. As a result, more than half
of the transport of goods carried out by Polish shipowners is foreign transport. The
marginal importance of water transport in Poland and lack of prospects for its growth
in the near future means that the involvement of financial resources for the maintenance and repair of navigation infrastructure has been much below the needs in this
area for many years. This causes a progressive degradation of waterways. According
to the report of the Supreme Audit Office [20] of 2014 on the operation of inland
navigation in Poland, only the restoration of the national waterways’ classification
parameters requires expenditures estimated at approximately PLN 14 billion. This
is mainly related to the fact that since 1949, the amount of financing for current
maintenance of waterways has not been ensuring simple reproduction. It is worth
noting here that in the years 2007–2012 the total investment for inland waterways
in Poland amounted to only approximately PLN 600 million. The effect is progressive decapitalization of navigation infrastructure (weirs, locks, etc.) and regulation
structures.
18.4.2 Passenger Navigation and Touristic Utilization
of Waterways
In addition to cargo shipping, passenger transport operates on rivers and canals in
Poland. In 2017, the number of transported people amounted to over 1.2 million,
showing an upward trend in the last few years. These transports, usually having a
tourist and recreational character, are implemented not only on waterways but also
on sections of the river network that do not meet the requirements for cargo shipping.
It is estimated that the routes for water tourism in Poland amount to approximately
11.6 thousand km, of which 14% are routes of outstanding importance and 58%
are very important routes. Nearly 34% of tourist routes are available for all types
of boats and ships (sailing yachts, motor yachts, and kayaks), while the remaining
part is available only for kayaks. Inland passenger navigation routes in Poland are
associated with larger rivers, such as the Vistula, Oder, Warta, Note´ c, Brda, Bug,
Narew and the canals (Augustów, Elbl˛ ag) and the Land of the Great Masurian Lakes.
Investments in water tourism, apart from the permanent marking of tourist routes,
M. Gor˛ aczko and K. Kubiak-Wójcicka
thus noting a decrease by 432 thousand tons in relation to the previous year (about
7%), with a simultaneous increase in transport performance by 45 million t km.
In comparison with 2014, this means a decrease in freight transport by 1851 thousand tons (by 24.3%) and an increase in transport performance by 99 million t km
(by 12.7%). In the period 2014–2017, the best year was 2015, when the weight of
cargo transported by waterways amounted to nearly 12,000 tons [1]. Under these
conditions, running a business focused on water transport is characterized by high
uncertainty as to its economic viability. No wonder that a significant part of the units
belonging to Polish shipowners (fourth fleet in Europe, in terms of the number of
barges) performs transport abroad, mainly in Germany. As a result, more than half
of the transport of goods carried out by Polish shipowners is foreign transport. The
marginal importance of water transport in Poland and lack of prospects for its growth
in the near future means that the involvement of financial resources for the maintenance and repair of navigation infrastructure has been much below the needs in this
area for many years. This causes a progressive degradation of waterways. According
to the report of the Supreme Audit Office [20] of 2014 on the operation of inland
navigation in Poland, only the restoration of the national waterways’ classification
parameters requires expenditures estimated at approximately PLN 14 billion. This
is mainly related to the fact that since 1949, the amount of financing for current
maintenance of waterways has not been ensuring simple reproduction. It is worth
noting here that in the years 2007–2012 the total investment for inland waterways
in Poland amounted to only approximately PLN 600 million. The effect is progressive decapitalization of navigation infrastructure (weirs, locks, etc.) and regulation
structures.
18.4.2 Passenger Navigation and Touristic Utilization
of Waterways
In addition to cargo shipping, passenger transport operates on rivers and canals in
Poland. In 2017, the number of transported people amounted to over 1.2 million,
showing an upward trend in the last few years. These transports, usually having a
tourist and recreational character, are implemented not only on waterways but also
on sections of the river network that do not meet the requirements for cargo shipping.
It is estimated that the routes for water tourism in Poland amount to approximately
11.6 thousand km, of which 14% are routes of outstanding importance and 58%
are very important routes. Nearly 34% of tourist routes are available for all types
of boats and ships (sailing yachts, motor yachts, and kayaks), while the remaining
part is available only for kayaks. Inland passenger navigation routes in Poland are
associated with larger rivers, such as the Vistula, Oder, Warta, Note´ c, Brda, Bug,
Narew and the canals (Augustów, Elbl˛ ag) and the Land of the Great Masurian Lakes.
Investments in water tourism, apart from the permanent marking of tourist routes,