Regional civil servants of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot as well as 46 boroughs located in the Pomeranian Voivodship voted for establishment of Metropolitan Association on 28th June this year in Szymbark. Thanks to it, the region could gain even 170 million zlotys from the central budget.
A crucial task within the metropolis would be coordination and enhancement of collective transport between boroughs. However, there should be one organizer of transport in order the consolidation activities could be effective. It constitutes a big chance for the whole region and commuters outside Gdynia or Gdańsk.
Gdynia has been initiating and participating in activities aimed at integration of metropolises for years – says Vice-President of Gdynia Michał Guć, and he adds: It also concerns projects in which Gdynia was a leader, for instance, TRISTAR or "Ochrona wód Zatoki Gdańskiej – budowa i modernizacja systemu odprowadzania wód opadowych w Gdyni oraz Małym Trójmieście Kaszubskim" ("Protection of waters in Danzig Bay – building and modernization of the system of channeling of rain water in Gdynia and Small Kashubian Tricity"). It also initiates a number of activities aimed at social and economic development of the metropolis. The example is coordination of Dolina Logistyczna by Gdynia, the scope of which includes Gdynia, Kosakowo, Rumia, Reda, Wejherowo and Wejherowo borough, and additionally – Cewice, Lębork, Liniewo, Luzino, Łęczyce, Szemud and Gniewino.
An application on establishment of metropolis is to be submitted to Warsaw in the following weeks. The talks with the Pomeranian Voivode will be conducted much earlier. For the moment, I think that there are almost no chances for a positive answer from the government. The authorities make no bones about the fact that the act on Metropolitan Association in the Silesia region has a pilot character – says Vice-President. However, I believe that the Pomeranian politics have to actively apply for establishment of such metropolis and show the government that it is a very important issue for us – adds Guć.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Administration prepared a project of an act on establishment of Metropolitan Association in Silesia at the end of last month. However, no extensions of this act for other regions are currently planned, which do not stop the local government servants in Pomerania to encourage the government to do so.