EN
Until the nineties of the twentieth century Upper Silesian tram operations were financed through self-ticketing and donations from the national budget, allowing to maintain a stable service without municipal subsidies. Since 2000 the tramway company is contracted to local public transport organizer (the association of municipalities - KZK GOP), receiving fees for their operational work (contractual rate for vehiclekilometer). Tram company revenues no longer depend on revenue from tickets. Management problems and the adverse resolution of the dispute with Alstom company led local tram system to the brink of bankruptcy. The importance of tram, which was the essential mode ofpublic transport in the Upper Silesian agglomeration over the twentieth century, has been deprecated as a result of transport policies. Since the end of the twentieth century, the authorities allocate almost all available funds for development of road transport and its infrastructure. After 20 years of Poland's economic transformation tram offer in Katowice agglomeration became generally less attractive than in the past and some tramlines disappeared replaced by less frequent bus service.