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The aim of the conducted research was to assess how the elderly viewed the functioning of public transport, with Łódź, a large city in Poland, as the example. The data presented in the article originates from research of 400 inhabitants aged 60+ was conducted in the district of Bałuty in Łódź at the turn of November and December 2018. On the basis of the questionnaire survey (which contained questions concerning the use of local public transport by the over 60s for daily journeys and was accomplished by CAPI and MOBI methods) it was found that the over 60s have quite a high opinion of the offer of the municipal transport company MPK (they hardly ever use services of other carriers). As for the means of public transport, the tram is rated slightly higher compared to the bus. The results of the research enable the proposal of general recommendations for the transport policy in Łódź. This policy should be focused to a larger degree on: shortening the waiting time and, consequently, increasing the frequency of connections and punctuality, while continuing to provide high travel comfort, increasing the level of accessibility to stops and enhancing the clarity of information with regard to fare prices and exemptions.

In this article, we identify the spatial mobility of the populations of selected urban centres in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. In total, 1,616 interviews were conducted. Additionally also interviews with the employees responsible for crisis management were conducted. Based on the analyses, five different clusters were identified, with different patterns of inhabitants in terms of their spatial mobility in the event of war. The most significant factors influencing their mobility in crisis situations are country of residence, age, number of people in the household and sex. This research can help develop evacuation strategies at different levels of governance.

The transport behaviour of Lodz residents with a view to constructing a balanced traffic model to include both private and public transport is examined in this paper. A survey was conducted among 6,000 Łódź citizens using mixed-mode techniques: CAWI and CATI: respondents were asked to complete a travel log for the previous day and the previous Sunday. This served as a basis for further analyses, performed with PTV simulation software, following a four-step model. The main results of the study are presented, including the mobility rate of Łódź residents, the motivations and duration of journeys, and the division of transport tasks into workdays and Sundays, indicating that a higher private carload is typical for home-other and other-home trips on Sundays compared to working days. The number of home to work and work-home trips via private cars is higher for working days compared to Sundays. Furthermore, the simulated traffic load of the public transport system is much higher for working days compared to Sundays. A higher percentage of non-motorised trips and longer trip duration are found to be common for Sundays as well.

This paper proposes a flood vulnerability index utilizing publicly available data that can be applied to different spatial scales. The index enables the development of an appropriate flood risk management strategy, tailored to those factors of vulnerability that have the greatest impact on the overall flood vulnerability of a given place. Currently, following a shift in the approach to flood protection, vulnerability has become a critical element of disaster mitigation. This index is an important contribution to the existing body of research as it can be applied to flood risk management strategies overcoming the ambiguity of definitions of vulnerability and the dynamic nature of temporal and spatial scales of analysis. The proposed flood vulnerability index is a multifaceted approach, encompassing physical, social, economic, environmental, and institutional attributes. In order to create the index, the literature on flood vulnerability was reviewed, including definitions, research methods, as well as the factors and constituents that are major components of vulnerability. The proposed indicator can be used by policy-makers responsible for flood risk management, especially in EU countries, in order to minimize the negative consequences of floods. Compared to other methods used (i.e., disaster loss estimation or modeling), the flood vulnerability index is easy to use when comparing different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic and, in consequence, many countries took steps to prevent the importation and subsequent local transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, resulting in restrictions on economic activity, transport, travel, and daily mobility. Although the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on daily mobility have been widely addressed in the literature, there is a limited number of studies that indicate to what extent these changes have become permanent. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and scale of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local transport system of a large city in Poland (Łódź) and, above all, to identify the permanence of this impact. To accomplish these objectives, a questionnaire survey was conducted using the computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technique on a sample of 500 residents, which included questions on daily mobility in the period before (autumn 2019) and after (autumn 2022) the pandemic. In addition, the results of the questionnaire survey were juxtaposed with data from intelligent transport systems (ITS) (data from 20 induction loops, and data on the number of tickets validated in public transport vehicles). Not only did the pandemic change the frequency of spatial motivations, but it also affected trip durations and preferred modes of transport. The most unfavourable changes concern the modal division and the increase in the use of private transport at the expense of public transport. Understanding the durability of the impact of the pandemic on changes in the spatial mobility of the population may help to develop transport policies and increase the resilience of transport systems to possible future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article was the assessment of the spatial matching of existing shelters (supply) to the distribution of residents in Suwałki (demand), considering their declared transport behaviours while evacuating during war. The analysis was conducted based on the locations of existing emergency shelters using data on population distribution (registration data with building accuracy). Spatial alignment was determined using the P-Median problem and E2SFCA. In terms of establishing vehicular or pedestrian travel time, the Manhattan metric based on the urban road network model was utilised. A model of vehicle movement speed was then constructed, while a constant speed was assumed for pedestrian movement. Additionally, survey data on the transport behaviour of inhabitants of Suwałki in the case of war were conducted in 2023. The study concluded that the population residing within the city limits should evacuate on foot, and that prior training on the evacuation process is especially necessary for those who reside in less populated areas of the city. The analyses also showed that existing emergency shelters are overly dispersed, making management difficult for emergency services. Since the current capacity of emergency shelters is not sufficient for the number and distribution of inhabitants of Suwałki, the most practical significance of this article in this respect is to indicate to the authorities the optimal number and location for emergency shelters (to improve the evacuation process). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a comprehensive rapid review of the current disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts in Saudi Arabia, a country exposed to a variety of hazards such as extreme heat, droughts, floods, dust, and sandstorms, along with threats from terrorism and violence. Employing a rapid review approach, our aim was to provide timely insights into DRR strategies, with an emphasis on the unique geographical and socio-political context of Saudi Arabia. This study serves as a valuable reference for similar hazard-prone regions worldwide. Our review encompasses Saudi Arabia's progress in key areas, such as improving building codes and infrastructure, developing early warning systems, raising public awareness, and strengthening emergency response capabilities. While Saudi Arabia has made commendable strides in implementing international best practices for DRR, our review also identified specific areas where further development and enhancement are needed. These include the need for more sophisticated early warning systems, expanded public awareness campaigns, and continual enhancements in emergency response capabilities. This review offers key insights into the challenges and opportunities within Saudi Arabia's DRR efforts, highlighting the steps that Saudi Arabia has taken towards resilience. Drawing from specific examples of past disasters, our findings shed light on practical considerations for improving disaster risk management, with the potential to inform policy, enhance public awareness, and contribute to building a safer and more resilient future in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saudi Arabia's health sector faces pressing challenges in disaster and prehospital care delivery, such as prolonged response times, limited access to remote areas, and strained medical resources. Integrating drone technology has emerged as an innovative approach to address these challenges and revolutionize healthcare delivery. Drones can significantly enhance response times, increase access to underserved areas, and reduce the burden on existing medical infrastructure. A detailed analysis of global case studies demonstrates the successful use of drones in healthcare delivery, emphasizing the importance of regulatory frameworks and public–private partnerships. These examples provide valuable insights into Saudi Arabia's health sector transformation. The potential benefits of integrating drone technology include improved patient outcomes, increased efficiency, and cost savings. To ensure the successful implementation of this transformative approach, it is crucial to establish clear regulatory guidelines, invest in research and development, and foster collaboration between the government, private sector, and healthcare stakeholders. The aim of this study is to explore the potential of drone technology in transforming healthcare delivery in Saudi Arabia, particularly within disaster response and prehospital care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation between retail trade and the transport system is clear. Shops are customer oriented, and to visit them, the shopper needs to travel by a mode of transport and find a suitable time to do so. Due to the concentration of retail outlets in large-format shopping centres, these have become among the greatest attractors and traffic generators (including car traffic). While their attraction potential and traffic generation are well established in the literature, research on disruptions to the retail market and their impact on the transport system remains sparse. The authors—wishing to extend the scope of research on this subject matter—set themselves the objective of examining the extent to which Sunday retail restrictions affect the efficiency of the local road transport system. They applied time-measured costs (queuing and delayed travel times) as a measure of efficiency. Empirical measurements of traffic volumes were employed in the study, and the measure of efficiency was calculated through microsimulation traffic modelling based on a psychophysical car-following model. However, the returned results prove to be inconclusive. A decrease in the temporal cost incurred by road users is observed in areas around shopping centres located in the city centre and the outskirts. A different pattern, however, is observed close to shopping centres located on an axis connecting the city centre to residential areas. The main conclusion from this study is that the changes in traffic density seen due to Sunday retail restrictions should induce further analyses of the changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of traffic. As a result, a more efficient traffic management that is adjusted to a given day of the week and specific situation on that day could be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Poland, in 2018, the act on Sunday retail restrictions was introduced, changing citizen's spatial mobility (altered patterns of transport behaviour related to shopping on a weekly scale). Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2020) on transport behaviour during this time has had an impact, since people were encouraged to stay at home and limit their mobility to an absolute minimum. As a result, the main aim of the article was to identify spatiotemporal changeability of the load of the urban road transport system under permanent and short-term legal and administrative retail restrictions and to determine its spatial and temporal nature on the example of Łódź (a big city in central Poland) during 2018–2021. For that purpose, the authors used three types of source data, i.e., official governmental normative data (acts, ordinances, etc.), informative data (official pandemic announcements issued during ministerial press conferences, governmental social media content, etc.), and objective empirical data (induction loops). The pandemic restrictions imposed on top of the existing permanent retail restrictions were shown to distinctly shape the weekly distribution of traffic. In weeks with non-trading Sundays, the percentage of vehicle traffic on weekdays was substantially higher than on weekends, which was particularly noticeable during the first year of the pandemic (2020). Long-term observations have also shown that people began to plan their weekends differently upon the initial implementation of Sunday retail restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each shipping line is expected to establish a reliable operating model, and the design of ship schedules is a key operational consideration. Long-term profits for shipping lines can be expected from a well-designed ship schedule. In today's liner service design, managing the time factor is critical. Shipping schedules are prone to different unexpected disruptions. Such disruptions would necessitate a near-real-time analysis of port capacity and re-design of the original ship schedule to offset the negative externalities. Ship schedule recovery strategies should be implemented to mitigate the effects caused by disruptions at ports or at sea, which may include, but are not limited to, ship sailing speed adjustment, handling rate adjustment at ports, port skipping, and port skipping with container diversion. A proper selection of ship schedule recovery strategies is expected to minimize deviations from the original ship schedule and reduce delays in the delivery of cargoes to the destination ports. This article offers a thorough review of the current liner shipping research primarily focusing on two major themes: (1) uncertainties in liner shipping operations; and (2) ship schedule recovery in response to disruptive events. On the basis of a detailed review of the available literature, the obtained results are carefully investigated, and limitations in the current state-of-the-art are determined for every group of studies. Furthermore, representative mathematical models are provided that could be further used in future research efforts dealing with uncertainties in liner shipping and ship schedule recovery. Last but not least, a few prospective research avenues are suggested for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to present the authors' own software for predicting changes in the density and directions of traffic flows and to compare overall results of research on transport accessibility with the results returned in the study of transport accessibility conducted with the software (isochronic accessibility). Developed for research purposes, the authors' application is based on Dijkstra's algorithm, which is classified as one of the greedy ones and does not always return optimum results, even though it is considered to be generally accurate. In the course of the research, it was stated that the implementation of Dijkstra's algorithm in the RoadLoad tool is suitable for studying and prognosing phenomena, under the assumption that there are detailed data on the point of departure and destination for each trip. The tool enables us to research a spatial (cumulated values of network load) as well as time-spatial (network load at virtually any time) dimension of the phenomenon. It cannot be applied, however, without the knowledge of the transport behavior characteristics of the users of the road system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the paper is to recognise the impact of statutory Sunday trading restrictions on consumer behaviours (shopping time) and mobility (activeness, motivation, modal division) of residents in Łódź, one of the largest Polish cities. An additional aim is to determine the independence of the indicated elements for selected features of the surveyed residents and their households, for which purpose a two-stage questionnaire survey was conducted among the residents/dwellers of Łódź. The first stage was performed during a week following a non-trading Sunday, and the respondents were asked to refer specifically to the previous Sunday. The second phase was carried out during a week immediately following a trading Sunday, with the questions focused on that particular Sunday. The returned results showed that the main factor determining the time when people do their shopping to make up for a non-trading Sunday is their professional Sunday activity. The answers also revealed that the residents of Łódź chose an inactive and rather a "couch-potato" lifestyle on the analysed Sundays, whether trading or non-trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, numerous countries have been facing the issue of population ageing, which poses a formidable challenge for many sectors, including transportation. Alas, there are no detailed or insightful studies that involve the analysis of the elderly, which is why the authors of this paper decided to research the issue to determine which features of mobility are common among senior citizens (aged 60+). In our study, we focused on Bałuty, a district located in Łódź. The applied research tool was an interview questionnaire which consisted of eight questions. Since transportation is a fundamental human need, maintenance of the mobility of the elderly at an acceptable level is crucial as it directly impacts the quality of their life. What is more, a change of motivation and mode of transport is recommended for this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of statutory Sunday retail restrictions on the transport behaviours of people living in the Polish post-socialist city of Lodz is investigated in this article. One carrier of information on journeys undertaken in the city is data from induction loops – a part of the city's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). The second source of data is a two-stage questionnaire survey (concerning trading and non-trading Sundays) of the city's inhabitants, aimed at defining any changes in their transport behaviours with reference to the introduction of retail restrictions. The research was conducted to assess the way in which the new statutory restrictions affect transport behaviour discharged after the political transformation. The results of the research conducted on the transport behaviours of Lodz residents indicate that the majority of their transport behaviours clearly depend on whether a given Sunday is a trading or non-trading day. The traffic load of the urban road network (perceived as the manifestation of residents' spatial mobility) is characterised by a distinct changeability due to the legislative restrictions related to Sunday trading. There is both a time (daily and hourly) differentiation of traffic flows and a spatial changeability of the load in the urban space, when a comparative analysis is conducted of the results of observations made in the weeks preceding trading and non-trading Sundays. The study also demonstrates that the time previously devoted to Sunday shopping is currently spent not only at home, but also allocated to new (and until now unperformed) activities that often require travelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has two aims: the cognitive one and the methodological one. The first one focuses on delineating city areas (of Łódź in this case), in relation to which a conscious parking policy should be implemented, including differentiation of the base parking fee and dynamics of parking cost increment in time. The methodological aim, in turn, consists in elaborating a research algorithm based exclusively on the geographical information system, which is based on generally available vector data, together with data obtained from intelligent transport systems. For their realization of the authors of this article elaborated their own methodology. It consists of five stages. The basic research unit is the surveying district. The area on the basis of which the research was made is the Łódź urban zone defined in the Strategy of Spatial Development for Łódź (2012). Each research stage corresponds to defining the power of impact of the variable which, as an research overview shows, affects the parking policy. Since the research is conducted on the basis different variables at individual stages and finally the coefficient assumes the form of five elements, it is necessary to standardize partial results. The article uses a procedure based on the quotient of the difference between the calculated value and the average for the whole group, divided by standard deviation. The results of the conducted research in the cognitive scope show that problems connected with parking organization do not concern only the very city centre (mostly the district of Śródmieście). Particular attention should be drawn to areas next to the city's main transport arteries which go latitudinally (for instance, Piłsudski avenue) or meridionally (e.g. Kościuszki street, Zachodnia street). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to evaluate the spatial variation in the size and shape of land plots in Mazowieckie voivodship. For the purposes of the study both the shape and the compactness of the plots were measured, and the typology of communes was drawn based on this information. Subsequently, based on the two indicators related to the shape of plots, four types of communes were distinguished, depending on whether their values were higher or lower than the average (Dzieciuchowicz and Dmochowska-Dudek, 2014). In addition, the paper includes calculations for the average share of unused land in the plot surface area, the average horizontal intensity of parcel development, and an indication of the type of land coverage dominant in the plots, by commune type. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used in the analyses. It has been found that the studied area is dominated by plots characterised by small diversity in shape and high degree of compactness - mainly in the north-western part of the voivodship, as well as those where plots are highly diverse in shape and low in compactness - in the south-eastern part of the voivodship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cognitive aim of this study is to point to the optimum number of local government units and the optimum boundaries of spatial units in Poland with the assumption of minimizing the cumulated theoretical travel time to all settlement units in the country. The methodological aim, in turn, is to present the use of the ArcGIS location-allocation tool for the purposes of delimitation processes as exemplifi ed by administrative boundaries in Poland. The rationale for the implementation of this study is that number and the boundaries of units of all levels of Poland's current territorial division are far from optimum in the light of minimization of accumulated theoretical travel time to all settlement units in the country. It may be concluded that it would be justifi able to increase the number of voivodships from the current number of 16 to 18. Besides it would be necessary to introduce modifi cations in relation to units with regional functions. In contrast, the number of districts and communes should be reduced. A continuation of this research may go in the direction of including analysis of public transport network in the research, creating in this way a multimodal set of network data. This would illustrate, apart from the potential itself resulting from the infrastructure, also the actually existing connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of statutory restrictions of the freedom to conduct business activities is a subject addressed by many researchers. On the other hand, there is little research into the spatial aspect of this phenomenon and its impact on the quality of life of the inhabitants of urban centres in terms of their exclusion from one of the key motivations for travelling, namely shopping trips. The main purpose of the article is to determine the impact of the introduction of a statutory restriction on Sunday trading on sustainable urban development in terms of identifying areas excluded from free access to such services within a large urban settlement in Poland. Our studies on accessibility by car utilised data from ITS systems, the assumptions of the probabilistic Huff Model, and methods to determine market catchment areas. The data used in the study were based on the results of a questionnaire survey. The research procedure was conducted for eight scenarios that covered two periods (March 2019 and November 2020) on trading and non-trading Sundays. The conducted research shows that changes in the temporal accessibility of grocery shops in Łódź within the analysed periods are noticeable for trading and non-trading Sundays. In both cases, accessibility by private car is decidedly worse on non-trading Sundays. Transport exclusion from accessibility to grocery shops applies, in particular, to residents of peripheral areas of the city and is further compounded by the statutory Sunday retail restrictions implemented nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armed conflicts degrade established healthcare systems, which typically manifests as a resurgence of preventable infectious diseases. While 70% of deaths globally are now from non-communicable disease; in low-income countries, respiratory infections, diarrheal illness, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDs are all in the top 10 causes of death. The burden of these infectious diseases is exacerbated by armed conflict, translating into even more dramatic long-term consequences. This rapid evidence review searched electronic databases in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Of 381 identified publications, 73 were included in this review. Several authors indicate that the impact of infectious diseases increases in wars and armed conflicts due to disruption to surveillance and response systems that were often poorly developed to begin with. Although the true impact of conflict on infectious disease spread is not known and requires further research, the link between them is indisputable. Current decision-making management systems are insufficient and only pass the baton to the next unwary generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the paper is to determine changes in transport behaviour of users of the public bike-share (PBS) scheme in a large Polish city, Łódź. By tracking GPS signals for individual trips taken by PBS users, it was possible to analyse their changeability (time and spatial) for periods before the implementation of statutory Sunday retail restrictions (2017) and after their partial introduction (2018). The study also took into account weather conditions, namely maximum and minimum daily temperatures and daily totals of precipitation recorded by a weather station in Łodź. In order to determine the correlations between certain weather conditions and PBS trips, the authors applied regression analysis. The results of the study showed that weekend cycling is less susceptible to the impact of weather than cycling on weekdays. At the same time, a comparative analysis of trading and non-trading Sundays proved that, during Sundays with retail restrictions, public bikes were used for longer, farther, and slower trips. These observations were confirmed by analyses of maps of traffic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this article was to determine the impact on the equilibrium of the local transport system from privileging EVs by permitting them to use bus lanes. The study used two sets of data: information on infrastructure and traffic management; and information on the recorded road network loads and traffic volumes generated by a given shopping centre—the E. Leclerc shopping centre (an important traffic generator within the city of Łódź, Poland). These sets were then used to develop a microsimulation traffic model for the shopping centre and the associated effects on the localised transport system. The model was constructed by means of the PTV Vissim software tool. An initial simulation was conducted that formed a basis for subsequent scenarios (in total, 17 simulations were performed). On the basis of the conducted analyses, it was established that—for the researched part of the transport system—privileging the still rather uncommon battery electric vehicles (BEVs) engendered a marginal deterioration of traffic conditions. At the same time, allowing BEVs to use bus lanes within the chosen research area had no negative impact on bus journey times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this article was to develop a method of researching accessibility in the event of a flood through the application of measurement based on mobility. In the course of the research, it has been proven that changes in mobility (and the related travel speed) are too significant to be ignored when studying accessibility in unusual circumstances. The vast majority of existing accessibility studies rely primarily on speed models, which – in the event of a flood – do not indicate the external effects of the natural disaster. On the basis of the conducted research it has been stated that the occurrence of a flood has a significant impact on changes in the spatial distribution of traffic and its related speeds. Such changes vary depending on the particular means of transport. With the most commonly applied methods of measuring accessibility, which are customarily based on speed models, the changes we observed would not be recorded. The application of mobility-based research in the analyses of accessibility – especially in the event of a flood – indicates the disaster's influence on the capacity of the road network, and thus, it allows for more effective flood-risk management. Furthermore, this article also demonstrates the possibility of applying source materials available in most member states of the EU, i.e., flood-risk maps and digital terrain models (NMPT), for the purposes of analysing and identifying road section closures within the transport network after the occurrence of a flood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]