Poland's transport fare evaders and advertising agencies owe over 470 million zł

According to the National Debt Register (KRD), fare evaders in Poland – referred to as "gapowicze" – are collectively liable for more than 366 million zł. About 260 thousand individuals have unpaid tickets, and despite a record 324 thousand ticket checks last year, many fines remain unsettled, limiting revenue growth to just 7 % of projected amounts. In Łódź alone, unpaid fares total around 105 million zł, representing roughly 15 % of the municipal transport budget.

KRD also reports that the advertising sector faces substantial indebtedness. Three thousand two hundred and sixty‑nine advertising agencies owe a combined 111.8 million zł, with an average debt of 34.2 thousand zł per firm. The largest regional liabilities are in the Mazowieckie voivodeship (59 million zł), followed by Śląskie, Małopolskie, Wielkopolskie and Dolnośląskie. Creditors include financial institutions, mobile operators and trade companies, which together are owed over 108 million zł by the advertising firms.