Transport and Logistics at the Start of 2026: Regulations, Costs, and Technologies

Since January 1, 2026, Kraków became, after Warsaw, the second Polish city^[1] with a Clean Transport Zone. The regulation covers the entire area within the IV ring road^[2], excluding Nowa Huta, which amounts to about half of the city’s surface. Vehicles not meeting Euro 4 standards for petrol^[3] and LPG, and Euro 6 for diesel will not be allowed in the zone. For drivers from outside Kraków, fees were introduced: 2.50 PLN for each started hour of parking^[5] and 5 PLN daily in 2026, rising to 15 PLN from 2027, as well as subscriptions ranging from 100 to 500 PLN per month. Kraków residents who registered their vehicles by June 2025 received indefinite exemptions, as did owners of vintage vehicles^[6] and those commuting to medical appointments after confirming their visit. The Kraków City Council’s decision may trigger a domino effect^[7] in cities like Poznań or Wrocław, but it faces resistance from retail trade and service sectors fearing a drop in customer traffic and logistics services migrating to city outskirts.

Clean Transport Zone and Protests in Ports

Simultaneously, operational tensions are rising in the ports of Gdańsk and Gdynia^[8]. Road carriers affiliated with the Carriers Association oppose^[9] an additional fee of 65 PLN for entering the Baltic Hub, Gdynia Container Terminal (GCT), and Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) during peak hours, as well as the critical shortage of booking slots which extends waiting times up to eight hours^[11]. From December 19, 2025, to January 6, 2026, a so-called silent strike is underway^[12], and for January 7–9 a possible blockade of Baltic Hub’s entrance has been announced. The stakes involve handling about 4.5 million TEU annually in Gdańsk and another 1.5 million TEU in Gdynia, nearly 70% of Poland’s container transit. Extended disruptions could redirect cargo to competing ports in Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Antwerp, risking a permanent loss of 5–10% volume and port revenue drops by even 1–2%.

Rising Labor Costs and New Fleet Obligations

From 2026, the transport sector also faces the largest historic increase in the ZUS contribution base for international drivers. The Ministry of Labor raised it to 9,420 PLN gross^[13] from 8,673 PLN in 2025, approximately an 8.6% increase. Eurowag group data shows ZUS charges alone rise by 313 PLN monthly^[16] per driver, and combined with income tax advances, the employer’s cost increases by 321–322 PLN. With a net salary around 9,000 PLN, the cost of maintaining a single driver reaches 13,668 PLN monthly^[17], which annually means roughly 3,860 PLN more per person. For a company with a fleet of 10 drivers, Carriers signal the necessity to raise freight prices by 2–5%^[19] and fear losing competitiveness against firms from Romania or Slovakia, where tax systems are lighter.

Railways, Airports, and Route Expansion

Another regulatory change will impact the light delivery vehicle segment. They will need to have second-generation G2V2 intelligent tachographs^[20]. These devices automatically record GPS position every three hours of driving^[21] to tighten driver working time oversight and end the exemption period for light transport. Failure to install will incur a 12,000 PLN fine^[22]. The cost per vehicle is estimated between 2,000 and 3,000 PLN^[23], and driver training about 500 PLN. For a company with 20 vans, this means an investment of 40,000–60,000 PLN. The Road Transport Inspectorate is preparing for intensified inspections, which may reduce the gray market, but some small operators might exit the business.

Cyber Threats and Breakthrough Technologies

Against the backdrop of cost and regulatory strains, projects improving transport accessibility are also visible. Deutsche Bahn introduced in December 2025 the largest timetable modernization in years^[24]: ICE trains every 30 minutes on major routes Hamburg–Frankfurt and Berlin–Munich, 14 new domestic connections, and a Leipzig–Kraków Eurocity service. Starting May 2026, the Prague–Copenhagen route will launch. The German carrier did not raise ticket prices, aiming to rebuild trust^[39] after previous operational issues. Meanwhile, airline Ryanair announced deploying its sixth base aircraft in Gdańsk by summer 2026^[43], raising total investment to 600 million dollars^[42] and increasing routes to 43. They are expected to add about 300,000 seats^[44], 16% more than in summer 2025, with annual traffic reaching 3.3 million passengers. Gdańsk airport is strengthening its role as a key low-cost hub in Europe, potentially drawing 5–10% traffic from centers like Warsaw and Kraków.

Cyberattacks are becoming a new risk dimension for transport and logistics. The transport sector accounted for 7.5% of all cybersecurity incidents^[35] in the European Union, and 12% of the most severe events under the NIS directive involved this sector. Aviation was responsible for 58.4% of incidents in the sector^[36], while logistics — including road, rail, sea, and air transport — accounted for 20.8%. DDoS attacks dominate, comprising 87.6% of cases^[37]. Ransomware accounts for 83.9% of cybercrime, and data breaches for 16.1%. During the holiday period, incidents in logistics rose about 80%, with global statistics showing an increase from 49 events in 2020 to 89 in 2024. About 630,000 IT security breaches were recorded^[38], representing a 60% year-on-year increase and averaging 300 hacking attempts daily. CERT Poland and the Ministry of Digital Affairs prepare for implementing EU NIS2 regulations, and transport companies are boosting cybersecurity budgets by 15–20%, treating digital risk as a key threat to supply chain continuity.

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