All bus carriers- MZA, Mobilis, PKS Grodzisk Mazowiecki and ITS Michalczewski are obliged, by virtue of their agreements, to maintain the temperature in vehicles between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. Above 25 degrees the air-conditioning should turn on automatically. On a regular basis, the Warsaw Transport Authority (ZTM – Zarzad Transportu Miejskiego) inspects air-conditioning function, checks if transport companies have the required certificates and if they undergo the pre-season equipment service.
Drivers of the municipal buses equipped with the interior cooling system are obliged to use, round the clock, the so called “warm button” with which- in order for the air-conditioning to work correctly- passengers open the doors of the vehicle themselves. When there are no people waiting at the stop and no one is getting off the bus, the doors remain shut and the hot air does not get inside.
The ZTM carries out intensive air-conditioning inspections. It brings positive effects. During the last year inspection (July) in the first half of the month as many as 432 cases of air-conditioning incorrect functioning on buses were recorded. In the second half of July, traffic supervision employees of ZTM detected only 72 irregularities. At the same time they checked if previously detected faults were removed.
In May this year ZTM checked documents regarding air-conditioning inspections. Documents were checked at all carriers rendering services for ZTM. No major irregularities were found. In one of the transport companies faulty air-conditioning was found in 35 buses (out of 431 of used buses), however the faults are immediately repaired.
Faulty functioning of devices in vehicles of public transport can be reported to ZTM calling Infolinia (22) 19484. Written complaints are also accepted at ZTM Passenger Service Centres. They can also be placed using the contact form on the ZTM website under the “contact” section and sub-section “write to us”.
Notifications of situations in which a driver refused to turn on the interior cooling system of the vehicle are passed on to the appropriate carrier, who should clarify the situation and if the accusations are justified they should take appropriate measures towards their employee. If the notification is passed to ZTM with the passenger’s personal data and address, it is treated as an official complaint. In such a case, after sending this matter to the carrier, they are obliged not only to verify it but also to give a written explanation to the passenger.
At the moment there are around 720 buses with air-conditioning running in Warsaw (from among about 1,5 thousand). Equipping vehicles with air-conditioning is a requirement for carriers put by ZTM in tenders for public service.
Published 13 May 2011
Last modified 3 June 2019
