Assessment of the State of the Transport System

In all central and east European countries, the transport infrastructure reflects the effects of over 40 years of central planning, and the lack of investment. The density of the national public road networks and their quality are generally lagging far behind road network standards of EU countries. As many roads cannot stand the high volumes of traffic and the heavy weight of modern lorries, road networks are generally in a poor state.

The standard of public transport in the CEE region is still relatively high. The scope, frequency, and punctuality are often superior to West European equivalents. However, the quality of vehicles is much poorer as is cleanliness and information provision. The public transport fleet tends to be old and inefficient. The old public transport vehicles (mainly buses) are characterised by high emission levels, sometimes overcrowding and deteriorating interiors.

The importance of railways is decreasing in all CEE countries and especially the future of many rural lines is uncertain. Not surprisingly, the frequency of services and therefore the overall attractiveness of public transport to users has declined. In addition, many public transport operators have increased fares.

Another major problem of CEE Countries is traffic safety. The rate of serious traffic accidents per head is generally significantly higher than that of EU countries. This is caused by a number of factors including poorer road quality and  a lower level of driver discipline (high speed driving etc).
 

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Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe