Changes in reduced fares from April
Published 10 March 2014
Last modified 3 June 2019
The Council of the Capital City of Warsaw adopted a resolution amending the current system of reduced fares for using the municipal public transport. Changes will become effective on the 1st April 2014.
They will cover the following categories of municipal public transport passengers:
Seven-year-olds
Currently, a child is entitled to using the municipal public transport for free until the 31st August of the year in which it turns 7 years of age. From April, the free-travel period for 7-year-olds will be, due to organisational reasons, extended until the end of September.
Students at the age of 7 – 16 years
Currently, they are entitled to pay reduced fare for using municipal public transport only if they have a valid (i.e. stamped for current school year) school identity card. However, real life shows that many students don’t manage to have their school identity cards stamped on time. Therefore, now the children won’t have to prove their entitlement to reduced fares exclusively with their valid school identity card. They will be allowed to use any other document with the child’s picture and date of birth (e.g. passport, ID card for a child). And as far as the school identity card it concerned, it will be honoured even without a current stamp.
Undergraduates and students from foreign colleges/universities
Undergraduates and students from foreign colleges/universities up to 26 years of age using the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) are currently entitled to use reduced tickets of every kind. From the beginning of April they will be entitled to use only reduced long-term tickets. When a student or undergraduate of such a school will want to use other kind of a ticket he/she will have to use a standard (full fare) ticket.
PhD students
As in the case of undergraduates and students from foreign schools, PhD students will be entitled to use only reduced long-term tickets. Additionally, the age criterion has been introduced. Only PhD students up to 30 years of age will enjoy the reduced fare.
Caregivers of disabled children and youth
In a situation when a caregiver uses public transport when going to his/her charge or after transporting him/her to an education establishment, therapy centre, ambulatory or health centre, the caregiver can travel for free. The condition is that the caregiver should have with him/her a certificate stating the place of residence of the charge and of the education establishment, therapy centre, ambulatory or health centre, issued by these establishments. The problem is that each of these establishments issues a certificate in accordance with a different template. During ticket control, it may be problematic for a ZTM ticket inspector to appropriately verify whether the person has in fact the right to free travel. It may lead to unnecessary ambiguities and stressful situations for the passengers. Therefore, in order to facilitate the entitlements control procedure, from April the caregiver will be allowed to travel pursuant to only a certificate issued according to a precisely specified template introduced by the regulation of the Mayor of Warsaw. What is more, every certificate should be registered at ZTM. This can be done in every ZTM Passenger Service Centre.
Gendarmerie
Currently only uniformed officers of the Military Gendarmerie up to the rank of first sergeant inclusive are entitled to use public transport free of charge. From April there will no longer be any restriction regarding the rank. However, a new criterion was added saying that the officers can enjoy free transport only when on duty. Still only uniformed officers will be entitled to use public transport free of charge.
Spouses for whom pensioners receive family allowances
From 1st April such people will be entitled to use only standard (full fare) tickets.
Retired judges and prosecutors
From April also this group will use only standard (full fare) tickets.
Children from families that have four or more children
Children from such families are entitled to travelling free of charge. They will still have free-travel pass (on the basis of a personal card with a special design issued by ZTM). Currently, these have to be children registered in Warsaw but from April it will no longer have to be so. It will be enough for the children to live in Warsaw. There is a unification of the rules and implementation of the Warsaw’s policy connected to the Warsaw Family Card, by which the criterion is the place of residence and not the registration in Warsaw.
Pensioners
We are also willing to remind you that in case of pensioners the current regulations saying that all pensioners, irrespective of their age, are entitled to reduced fare (50% of the standard ticket price) will stay in force.
