Transport, page 20
Bratislava and Oslo connected by air
REGULAR scheduled flights between Bratislava and the Norwegian capital, Oslo, were launched on March 28. It is the first direct connection between the two cities, the TASR newswire wrote.
WiFi on Bratislava-Košice trains
FIRST-CLASS passengers on selected InterCity (IC) trains between Bratislava and Košice can now get wireless internet access after the state-owned rail passenger operator, Železničná Spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK), began a trial operation of onboard WiFi, the TASR newswire reported, citing ZSSK communications director Alexander Buzinkay.
Yellow trains carry over 100,000
REGIOJET, part of the Student Agency group of companies, has already transported over 100,000 passengers on the line linking Bratislava, Dunajská Streda and Komárno, south-east of the capital, since launching operations on the route on March 4, the SITA newswire wrote on March 30. The number of passengers is double that carried on the route when it was operated by Železničná Spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK), the state-owned rail passenger company.
Rail tickets sold via mobile internet
PASSENGERS need no longer wait in queues or use their home computers to buy railway tickets. On February 1 rail passenger operator Železničná Spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) launched a new service, eMIL, an electronic mobile internet rail ticket, ZSSK general director Pavel Kravec announced. The service has been designed for people who have mobile phones with internet access and payment cards that enable electronic operations, the TASR newswire reported.
Building intermodal infrastructure
GLOBALISATION, a process which requires ever-better transport services, has led to the development of sophisticated forms of intermodal transport combining – among others – road, rail, and maritime carriage of goods.
Institutions and organisations in transport in Slovakia
Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development,www.telecom.gov.sk
24 destinations available from Bratislava
A TOTAL of 24 destinations in 12 countries will be covered by scheduled flights operating out of Bratislava’s M. R. Štefánik Airport this summer season, between March 25 and October 27. Six air carriers – Danube Wings, El Al, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Ryanair, Travel Service and UTair Aviation – will operate regular flights, airport spokesperson Dana Madunická told the TASR newswire on March 22.
East-west broad-gauge railway plans are dusted off
THE RETURN of Robert Fico to the prime minister’s office may dust off plans to build a broad-gauge railway track across Slovakia, a project originally mooted during his first government. Ľubomír Vážny, Fico’s previous transport minister who is likely to fill a new position as deputy prime minister for large transportation and energy projects, has already indicated that the idea – which carries a price tag of over €6 billion – is being considered, pending further evidence showing it is feasible and financeable. But Vážny seems convinced of its merits, saying that the arguments “undoubtedly speak in favour of the project”.
Truckers bemoan crisis conditions
SLOVAK road transport firms are complaining about tough times in their industry. Many were struggling even before the arrival of the global financial and economic crisis, and the subsequent economic contraction has worsened conditions and squeezed their already thin margins, driving many to the verge of bankruptcy. The outlook for 2012 is not exactly rosy either, especially given the continuing rise in the cost of fuel and the uncertain forecasts for economic growth.
Air transport companies active in Slovakia
ABS Jets, www.absjets.cz
Cyclists lament unfriendly cities
WHEN discussing transport problems in Slovakia, finishing the country’s highway connections is probably the first thing that jumps to many people’s minds. But the missing stretches of the backbone highway between Bratislava and Košice are not the only problem in the transport system because usable cycling routes are also lacking in most parts of the country. Though more has been accomplished in promoting cycling as a tourism product in Slovakia, the opportunities that regular commuting by bicycle can bring to cities and towns have mostly been overlooked. Many cities in other parts of the world have encouraged the use of bicycles to overcome recurrent traffic jams and inadequate parking for cars. Though it has mostly been non-profit organisations that have been pushing for better cycling possibilities in Slovakia, some positive signals have recently come from state institutions and Bratislava’s city council has declared its intention to augment cycling as part of the city’s overall transport system.
Market for logistics facilities revives
AFTER a standstill lasting almost two years, construction of new distribution and warehousing premises has started again in Slovakia. Now that vacancy rates have reached critically low levels the owners and developers of distribution facilities have begun building new premises and are even talking about construction on a speculative basis, that is without pre-lease contracts.
Air transport sector hopes for calmer skies
IT IS said that budget airline SkyEurope taught Slovaks to fly. In the early 2000s the now-defunct low-cost carrier showed Slovaks, who were then enjoying the fruits of their nation’s rapid economic growth, that an air ticket did not need to cost a fortune and helped to make air travel a much more popular means of transport. However, the economic crisis helped push SkyEurope and other airlines from the Slovak skies and hit the domestic air transport sector hard.
Revitalisation of rail firms continues
ALL three of Slovakia’s state railway companies are continuing their revitalisation programmes despite the fall of the Iveta Radičová government. Together, the companies have so far laid off over 3,000 employees from an aggregate total of 31,000, the SITA newswire reported on October 17.
Organisations supporting cycling as a means of transport
Cyklokoalícia, www.cyklokoalicia.sk
Institutions and organisations in transport in Slovakia
Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development, www.telecom.gov.sk
Freight transporters face uncertainty
ALMOST the entire European freight market, including the Slovak market, is suffering from insufficient capacity and that is pushing up transport prices, according to a press release issued by the Slovak branch of DHL Freight in early October.
Travelling Bratislava - Košice during the Ice Hockey World Championship
Slovakia’s passenger rail operator, ZSSK, has launched a new product for the 2011 IIHF World Championship: the Ice Hockey 2011 pass ticket. It is valid for up to 19 days for all trains in Slovakia during the championship between April 28 and May 16. The price of a first-class pass ticket is €99; a second-class pass ticket costs €89.
Demand for logistics space grows
THE STANDSTILL in construction of new warehouses and logistics centres in Slovakia in 2009 because of the economic crisis extended into 2010 as well. A clear market trend has been for logistics and warehouse-space operators to focus on renting their available space in existing facilities and to construct new facilities only for specific clients on a build-to-suit basis. But industry experts say that Slovakia’s low vacancy rate and the expected inflow of new foreign investment may spur the construction of new logistics centres, particularly in areas outside western Slovakia.
Organisations involved in Slovakia's highway e-toll system
e-myto – the website of the Slovak e-toll collection system
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