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The Government approved an agreement between the Czech Republic and Germany on the Elbe inland waterway

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 03 May 2021 12:20:46 GMT

“Elbe is an important European river; both the Czech Republic and Germany are responsible for preserving it. Navigation on Elbe will allow operation of eco-friendly water transport and improve conditions for international business as well as tourism in the Czech Republic. A key for us is also that Germany is willing to take care of problematic sections and guarantee the necessary depth for navigation. The agreement also brings some certainty in term of planning investments into water transport and harbour infrastructure. Together with my colleague, German minister Andreas Scheuer, we are looking forward to sign it”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The Czech Republic should prepare navigation route parameters, according to relevant documents currently in force, on the section from Ústí nad Labem to state borders with Germany. The next section from Ústí nad Labem to Týnec nad Labem will follow current waterway parameters with navigation depth of 230 cm. At the same time, it will provide for measures between Týnec nad Labem and Pardubice to allow navigation depth of 230 cm to Pardubice.
The maintenance goal on the German side of Elbe is navigation depth of 140 cm, which corresponds to the German strategy document “Gesamtkonzept Elbe”. Apart from the navigation route parameters in the Czech Republic and Germany, the agreement anticipates establishment of a Joint Committee, which will monitor the navigation route parameters and propose improvement measures.

The agreement has been concluded after many years of negotiations. In 2006, the Ministry of Transport and the former Federal Ministry of Transport, Construction and Housing issued a joint statement on cooperation and transport goals and measures on Elbe waterway up to Geesthacht locks by Hamburg. The statement defined target parameters of Elbe waterway in the Czech Republic and Germany, yet it is not a binding document in the sense of international law.

In mid-November 2017, the representatives of the Czech and German ministries of transport agreed to prepare a new international agreement that will ensure navigation on Elbe on both sides of the borders. The Agreement will ensure that the water transport on Elbe becomes a binding document in the sense of international law, as it is for example on Rhine, Danube or Moselle and other international waterways in the EU, which have already been safeguarded by a similar agreement.

The maintenance of Elbe is important in all dimensions – transport, water management, hydrological and ecological. This Agreement on water transport is the missing part in the Czech Republic’s and Germany’s effort to mutual maintenance of Elbe in all dimensions of sustainable development. Elbe is part of a network of the most important road and railway corridors, international airports and waterways (TEN-T). The Agreement will complement already existing maintenance tools on Elbe, i.e. Agreement between the Czech Republic and Germany on border waters in the segment of water management from 1995 and Convention on the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe from 1990.

Immediately after the signature of the Agreement, the Ministry of Transport will initiate negotiations with the German side about harbour territory, which the city of Hamburg offered to the Czech Republic in exchange for harbour territories leased to the Czech Republic for 99 years after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

The final construction phase on the D4 motorway between Příbram and Písek can begin

Odbor komunikace — Sat, 01 May 2021 14:52:22 GMT

The cap amount, set by the Ministry before submission of offers as a maximum price to ensure the benefits of constructing D4 in a form of a PPP project, was CZK 23.7 billion. According to the submitted offer, which included fixed interest margin and price for construction works, and based on the development of market inter-bank rates after the offer was submitted, the availability payment was set to CZK 17.8 billion net. The concessionaire’s financial institutions based on the financial agreement are ČSOB, MEAG, DZ Bank, Nord LB, Siemens, KfW, IPEX, SMBC, Société Générale and Unicredit.

“The price will be fixed for the entire time of the project but that does not mean it is a final price. Similarly to mortgage, the agreement considers a refinancing option in case of a favourable development of interest rates. Normally, the refinancing takes place after the construction phase is completed, because project risk are lower and we can reach significant savings”, said Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček.

Minister of Transport signed the concessionary agreement with the representatives of VINCI Concessions and Meridiam on 15 February 2021. “The full effect of the contract was conditioned by reaching a financial closure, which happened today”, added Mr Havlíček. After the financial closure, the concessionaire has 44 months (i.e. 3 years and 8 months) to construct and open the motorway, i.e. by December 2024.

The concessionaire will then operate and maintain the motorway for 292 months (i.e. 24 years and 4 months). During this period, the state will pay an availability payment for the service. The payment is bound by agreed criteria of quality and availability of individual motorway sections. After the financial closure, the concessionaire became the project contractor, and therefore assumed responsibility for all works, including necessary changes in issued permits and ensuring archaeological researches, which precede the construction.

Preparatory works, especially removal of greenery, has been going on around the future motorway since March. According to the contract, the Ministry of Transport has to transfer all building permits and necessary lands to the concessionaire via Road and Motorway Directorate based on a fixed schedule. The concessionaire will then hand over construction sites to the company DIVia stavební s.r.o., which is the main contractor and a subsidiary 100% owned by the company Eurovia CS.

“The financial closure means that the project is definitively and fully effective. Our aim is to build and operate an innovative and sustainable motorway. The new D4 motorway will ensure high security and comfort for drivers and improve transport conditions and traffic flow. In the end, it will reduce the risk of traffic congestions and pollution”, said Mr Christian Biegert, a representative of the VINCI Concessions and Meridiam consortium for the Czech Republic. “Now, after the financial closure, we can launch the project. We expect first construction works to begin in the second half of May”, added Mr Biegert.

Along with the newly constructed 32 kilometres, the concessionaire will operate and maintain in perfect conditions another 16 kilometres of D4 motorway and I/20 road, meaning it will reconstruct and equip them with motorway technology and emergency areas before opening the new section. After the motorway is completed, the state will begin with repayment and after 25 years of operation it will take it over in a “as good as new” condition. Compared to a traditional public procurement system, the state is buying not only the construction, but the full service, i.e. construction, operation and maintenance.

The successful preparation of the project was a joint effort of the Ministry of Transport, the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (financing) and the Road and Motorway Directorate (property management, approval process). An international team of representatives from law firm White & Case, financial advisors from Česká spořitelna, a.s. and technical advisors from Obermeyer Helika a.s. and SIEBERT + TALAŠ, spol. s r.o. provided comprehensive consulting services to the Czech Republic.

EU Space Programme and new agency in Prague ready to take off

Odbor komunikace — Sat, 01 May 2021 12:37:39 GMT

“The adoption of the EU Space Programme is an important milestone for the GSA agency in Prague allowing its transformation to the new agency EUSPA and widening its scope and competences. It will now focus not only on satellite navigation, but also on Earth observation, satellite telecommunication, support of innovations and space security”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

EU flagship programmes for navigation, Galileo and EGNOS, and for Earth observation, Copernicus, will now be part of a new grand programme, which also includes a new telecommunication initiative GOVSATCOM and system for surveillance of near Earth’s surroundings, including space fragments and space traffic monitoring. The programme will also support entrepreneurship and innovation, involvement of SMEs into the construction of space infrastructure and other activities aiming to develop and implement services according to users’ demands.

“Satellite systems bring many opportunities during construction and processing of data into services. Therefore, the programme is a big opportunity for Czech companies, innovators and science centres. Satellite navigation and Earth observation is used across various industries, such as transport, logistics, agriculture, management of natural resources, monitoring of the environment, smart cities etc. The satellite services are also crucial for autonomous systems. The importance of satellite systems and their protection is rapidly growing, hence the creation of the new programme, development of its infrastructure and services”, said Ondřej Šváb, head of Space Technologies and Applications Unit at the Ministry of Transport.

The EU Space Programme also means a new level of space cooperation in Europe. The European Commission will be entrusted with the programme management. It will closely cooperate with EUSPA as well as ESA. ESA will be responsible for the construction of new satellite systems and the preparation of new technologies.

“Activities related not only to space systems operation, but also development of the market and safety of the entire programme will be managed from Prague. Space experts, entrepreneurs and scientists from across Europe will meet here. The Czech Republic has a unique opportunity to present itself in a progressive development of new technologies and applications with high-added value and continue to develop the abilities and capacities gained from ESA programmes. Given its enlargement, EUSPA will open number of new job positions, which will be also an opportunity for Czech experts”, said Václav Kobera, director of ITS, Space Activities and R&D Department.

The Ministry of Transport, which is responsible for most of the space activities in the Czech Republic and therefore the main Czech negotiator, worked towards an enforcement of GSA in cooperation with the Czech Permanent Representation in Brussels, the Office of the Government and the government commissioner for cooperation with GSA for nearly 8 years. Also a close cooperation with the European Parliament, especially with the MEP Mr. Tošenovský and his team, played a crucial role. The key to success was that the state administration spoke with a unique voice.

The official launch of the EU Space Programme is planned on 22 June 2021 in Brussels, after the conclusion of Financial Framework Partnership Agreement between the European Commission, EUSPA and ESA.

Photo: https://tech.instory.cz

Omnibus II: Extended validity of roadworthiness checks

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 08:54:53 GMT

The Omnibus II Regulation applies to:

• The validity of regular roadworthiness checks and validity of roadworthiness certificates (i.e. validity, which expired or would have expire between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021, is extended by 10 months).

The Omnibus II Regulation does not apply to:

•   Registration check certificates;
•   Extension of validity of roadworthiness certificates in case of a 30-days deadline to re-take roadworthiness check;
•   Validity of regular roadworthiness check and roadworthiness certificate that was extended by Omnibus I Regulation (i.e. validity, which expired between 1 February and 31 August 2020 , was extended by 7 months – further extension is not possible).
• Category O1 and O2 trailers (trailers for passenger cars up to 3.500 kg);
• Category L motorcycles;
• Tractors and category T, R, C, and OT trailers with a maximum design speed not exceeding 40 km/h;
• Category Z road vehicles designed for driving on snow and ice.

Examples of real situations

1.   The validity of a regular roadworthiness check expires on 20 May 2021. Does the Omnibus II Regulation apply to this situation? If yes, when is the last day to take a roadworthiness check?

Answer: YES, the Omnibus II Regulation applies to this situation. The validity is extended by 10 months, i.e. until 20 March 2022.

2.   The validity of a regular roadworthiness check expires on 2 July 2021. Does the Omnibus II Regulation apply to this situation? If yes, when is the last day to take a roadworthiness check?

Answer: NO, the Omnibus II Regulation does not apply to this situation. The original validity until 2 July 2021 is maintained.

3.   The validity of regular roadworthiness check, which expired on 2 May 2020, was extended by 7 months under Omnibus I Regulation, i.e. until 20 December 2020. Does the Omnibus II Regulation apply to this situation? If yes, when is the last day to take a roadworthiness check?

Answer: NO, the Omnibus II Regulation does not apply to this situation. It is not possible to apply provision in Art. 5 (1) and (2) of Omnibus II Regulation to the validity, which has already been extended by Omnibus I Regulation. Once the validity expires, the vehicle is not roadworthy and the vehicle’s operator cannot use such vehicle on roads. In addition, we need to point out that invalid roadworthiness certificate affects liability insurance for operating a vehicle.

4.   I went to a regular roadworthiness check on 15 February 2021. The technician discovered a serious defect and limited my roadworthiness certificate for 30 days, i.e. until 15 March 2021. Does the Omnibus II Regulation apply to the 30 days extension?

Answer: NO, the Omnibus II Regulation does not apply to this situation. After expiration of 30 days deadline to re-take a roadworthiness check, the vehicle is not roadworthy and the vehicle’s operator cannot use such vehicle on roads.

5.   I went to a registration check on 20 February 2021. Does the Omnibus II Regulation extend the 30 days deadline to request a change of vehicle’s owner or operator in road vehicle register?

Answer: NO, the Omnibus II Regulation does not extend the validity of registration check certificate.

6.   My vehicle is out of service (i.e. in a depository). If the validity of roadworthiness check and certificate expired on 25 January 2021, does the Omnibus II Regulation apply?

Answer: YES, the Omnibus II Regulation applies to this situation. The validity was extended by 10 months, i.e. until 25 November 2021.

Legislation

On 22 February 2021, the Regulation (EU) 2021/267 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2021 laying down specific and temporary measures in view of the persistence of the COVID-19 crisis concerning the renewal or extension of certain certificates, licences and authorisations, the postponement of certain periodic checks and periodic training in certain areas of transport legislation and the extension of certain periods referred to in Regulation (EU) 2020/698 (the Omnibus II Regulation) was published in the Official Journal of the EU.

Article 5 paragraph 1 of Regulation states, “Notwithstanding Article 5(1) and Article 10(1) of Directive 2014/45/EU and point 8 of Annex II to that Directive, the time limits for the roadworthiness tests which, in accordance with those provisions, would otherwise have had to or would otherwise have to be carried out between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 shall be deemed to be, or to have been, extended for a period of 10 months.”

Article 5 paragraph 2 of Regulation states, “Notwithstanding Article 8 of Directive 2014/45/EU and point 8 of Annex II to that Directive, the validity of roadworthiness certificates with a date of expiry between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 shall be deemed to be, or to have been, extended for a period of 10 months.”

Omnibus II Regulation: Validity of driving licences and technical inspections extended

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 08:52:23 GMT

“In the current situation, we need to limit contact between people as much as possible and this Regulation will help us to achieve this goal even in various transport areas. However, authorities and technical inspection stations remain open so that drivers can for example keep their vehicles in good technical conditions,” said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The extension of validity applies to driving licences, regular roadworthiness checks, professional competence certificates or deadlines for completing regular training of professional competence licence holders by another 10 months from the original validity.
If needed, it is still possible to exchange the driving licence or pass a roadworthiness check at the technical inspection station. Authorities and repair shops remain open. The map showing municipalities with extended powers and a list of technical inspection stations is available at the Ministry’s website. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Transport recommends to drivers to take their vehicle to regular roadworthiness checks. The Regulation aims to those who feel that their health is endangered, would have to travel between districts, live abroad, have a car in a depot, etc.

A so-called Omnibus II Regulation follows up on last year’s Omnibus I Regulation, which reacted to the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic and applied to the period between 1 February and 31 August 2020. Licences, which have already been extended, can be extended once more until 1 July 2021 or by 6 months, if the extended validity expires after 1 July 2021. The Ministry of Transport has already informed all municipal authorities with extended powers, technical inspection stations, regional authorities and the Police of the Czech Republic about the new Regulation.

Examples of situations

If the original validity of your driving licence expired on 25 March 2020, according to the Omnibus I Regulation it was extended until 25 October 2020. Now, the Omnibus II Regulation allows for a further extension until 1 July 2021.
If the original validity of your driving licence expired on 19 August 2020, according to the Omnibus I Regulation it was extended until 29 March 2021. Now, the Omnibus II Regulation allows for a further extension until 29 September 2021, because the extension by 6 months means extension after 1 July 2021
Under the current Omnibus II Regulation, it is no possible to extend a deadline for roadworthiness test that has been already extended under Omnibus I Regulation (valid for a period from 1 February to 31 August 2020). For example, if you were supposed to submit your vehicle for a roadworthiness test by 20 April 2020, the Omnibus I Regulation extended the validity by 7 months, i.e. until 20 November 2020. By that date, you were obliged to take your vehicle for a roadworthiness test. The Omnibus II Regulation does not allow for further extension of validity.
If the original validity of roadworthiness test expired on 30 August 2020, the Omnibus I Regulation extended it until 30 March 2021. Further extension is not possible; the owner/operator must submit their vehicle for a roadworthiness test until this date (30 March 2020).
If the vehicle’s owner/operator had been issued a certificate of roadworthiness test in August 2020 only for 30 days to ensure remedy of assessed defects, this deadline had then moved to September 2020 (i.e. falls under conditions of Omnibus II Regulation) and the owner/operator failed to attend the test, no extension shall be applied. The vehicle must be submitted for a test. Since the 30 days period has expired, the vehicle’s owner/operator must re-take the entire test, including measurement of emissions.

The Omnibus II Regulation does not apply to the following:

Extension of mandatory regular medical examinations for drivers above 65 years;
Registration checks certificates;
Extension of validity of roadworthiness certificate and a 30-days period to re-take roadworthiness test;
Validity of periodic roadworthiness test and roadworthiness certificate that has already been extended by Omnibus I Regulation (i.e. the validity expired between 1 February and 31 August 2020 and has been extended by 7 months, further extension is not possible);
Category O1 and O2 trailers (trailers for passenger cars up to 3.500 kg);
Category L motorcycles;
Tractors and category T, R, C, and OT trailers with a maximum design speed not exceeding 40 km/h;
Category Z road vehicles designed for driving on snow and ice.

The European Commission presented the draft Omnibus II Regulation in January as a reaction to the current pandemic situation and upon the demands from the Member States, including the Czech Republic. Following an urgent procedure, the European Parliament and the Council discussed the Regulation. It will become effective on 6 March in the entire EU. Driving licences and other transport documents will be considered valid in all Member States.

In October 2020, the Ministry of Transport issued a methodology statement that driving and professional competence licences, which expired between 1 September 2020 and 31 March 2021, are considered valid for another 6 months. However, this statement only applies to the Czech Republic.

Omnibus II Regulation amends also the following Regulations in terms of road freight transport:

1071/2009

Demonstrating a financial capacity shall be extended for a period of 12 months (under normal circumstances by 6 months)

1072/2009

The Community licences and driver attestations shall be extended for a period of 10 months.

1073/2009

Extension of validity of Community licences.
Notification process shall be extended for a period of 3 and 6 months (from the original 2 (for notification of decision) and 4 (for decisions on applications for authorisation) months).

165/2014

Regular inspections of tachographs shall be carried out no later than 10 months following the date on which they would otherwise have to be carried out.
When a driver applies for the renewal or replacement of a driver card, a competent authority shall issue a new driver card no later than 2 months after the receipt of the request. The driver may continue to drive until a new driver card is received.

In railway transport, the Regulation amends the following directives:

2007/59

The licences and train drivers’ certificates, which would have expired or would expire in the reference period, shall be extended for a period of 10 months. The time limits for the periodic medical and professional competence checks shall be extended for a period of 10 months.

2016/798

The safety certificates shall be extended for a period of 10 months.

2012/34/EU

A regular review of financial capacity of railway undertakings shall be extended for a period of 10 months.

In water transport, the Regulation amends the following legislation:

Directive 96/50/EC

On reaching the age of 65 years, the holder of a boatmaster’s certificate must undergo a medical examination in the following three months and subsequently every year.

Directive (EU) 2016/1629

The validity of Union inland navigation certificates shall be extended for a period of 10 months.

Regulation (EC) No 725/2004

Due to the unprecedented situation of COVID-19 pandemic, inspections and reviews of maritime safety cannot be effectively carried out since they require presence of inspectors in ports, port facilities and ships. The same applies to renewal of certificates, assessments and plans required by the Union maritime safety legislation. Time periods shall be extended as needed for a reasonable period.

Limited navigational sections at Slapy during summer holidays

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 06:56:16 GMT

“Last year, we have seen greater interest in navigation and other leisure activities at Slapy, mainly due to limited options for travelling abroad. This year, we expect the same interest, unfortunately, the capacity at Slapy is limited. To protect vulnerable users of navigational traffic, it is necessary to implement a discharge navigational system, which is much slower than the current system”, said Klára Němcová, the director of the State Navigation Administration. The Waterway Police and the Water Rescue Service also recommends slowing down of the vessels.

After discussions with various user groups, the new navigational system will be used from 1 July until 31 August 2021 on river km 91.70 to 118.00. At the same time, the State Navigation Administration along with Povodí Vltavy (state enterprise) will set 14 safe swimming zones with banned access for boats. There will be also a zone for water skiing and aerobatic navigation of water scooters and jetboards.

After the season is over, the traffic will be carefully assessed and discussed with traffic users at Slapy.

The number of navigation accidents increased in 2020 to 35, compared to 2019 with 12 accidents. At Slapy, there were 6 accidents in 2020; one was severe with casualties. Minister Havlíček continues in his efforts to prevent accidents from happening. “We need to realize that such a huge number of people that we expect this year at Slapy cannot fit to the reservoir. I would like to call on mutual understanding and common sense so that everyone can enjoy summer at Slapy without accidents. I do apologise to those who will be affected by the restrictions,” said Mr Havlíček.

The total mooring capacity for small vessels, which must be registered at Slapy, is 2,764 out of which 91%, i.e. 2,508 vessels, are permanently parked in the section that is subject of transport measures, especially during individual mooring and in four harbours. For comparison, in the remaining section from river km 118.00 to 134.73 (lock-chamber Kamýk) only 256 registered vessels are moored.

Even though Orlík Reservoir is wider than Slapy Reservoir by third, the total mooring capacity for small vessels, which must be registered, is lower by half (only 1,401 vessels). “1 river km of a significantly wider Orlík Reservoir accounts on average for 25 parked vessels, whereas at Slapy Reservoir it is 64 vessel, i.e. by 2.5 times more. In the section, which is subject of restriction, there is 96 vessel parked on 1 river km. It is not only the question of the amount of registered vessels, but also of the number of other leisure activities, swimming, paddleboards, canoes, kayaks, fishing and a number of permanently moored houseboats”, explains Ms Němcová.

Between 2015 and the end of 2020, the number of registered small vessels in the Czech Republic increased by 4,571, which is by more than 30% compared to the end of 2014. From this amount, the number of registered vessels in Prague area, which includes also Slapy Reservoir, amounts to 3,094, i.e. two-thirds of newly registered vessels.

Registration to C-ITS Roadshow in Brno opened

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 06:55:45 GMT

C-ITS Roadshow will present the results of individual national C-Roads projects, including the C-Roads Czech Republic, and also future trends and opportunities brought by the innovative C-ITS solution. The event consist of several parts, i.e. press conference, followed by an expert conference with presentations and virtual exhibition stands of ca. 20 pilot projects from the EU. The expert conference will offer an interesting discussion about current and future trends in C-ITS. The event will also include a demonstration ride showing how C-ITS work in regular traffic in streets of Brno and on D1 motorway.

The EU commissioner for transport, Ms Adina Vălean, the director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), Mr Dirk Beckers, and other important guests promised their attendance.

How to register?

Registration link: https://etickets.bvv.cz/en
Registration code: saferoadstoday

The registration code ensures a free registration to C-ITS Roadshow. The participants will also have a free access to the online URBIS Smart City Fair 2021 from 2 to 4 June 2021.

C-ITS is based on a mutual communication between vehicles and surrounding infrastructure. The vehicles must be equipped with a special feature or mobile application. Safe exchange of messages is an essential idea of C-ITS. The aim is to transmit a warning to drivers as fast as possible, in a comprehensive and secure way, so that they could react quickly and do not get into dangerous situations. C-ITS will improve drivers’ foresight and increase smoother traffic.

Final preparation of new railway route Praha-Ruzyně – Praha-Václav Havel Airport

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 07:33:26 GMT

The anticipated construction is a part of a planned railway connection between Prague, the airport and Kladno. It will include two railway tracks on route Praha-Ruzyně – Praha-Václav Havel Airport as well as a new railway station Praha-Dlouhá Míle. This station will be located in a developing area near the Václav Havel Airport runway, Šestka shopping centre and Pražský okruh highway. A transport node, which will allow transferring to public and suburban bus transport and possibly tram, is expected in a near future.

There will be not only a car park (with a capacity of up to 2,000 parking spots after enlargement), but also a bus terminal. The final design of the railway station will be a subject of an architectural review during the above-mentioned process of building permit documentation.

The entire project will connect the international airport directly to railway; the travel time between Prague and the airport is expected to be around 25 minutes, journey to Kladno should not be longer than 30 minutes. Správa železnic closely coordinates the works with the Prague Airport.

Have you bought an e-vignette for a non-existing number plate? You can now get a refund

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:58:36 GMT

“If you made a mistake during the purchase of a new electronic vignette and entered a wrong combination of characters in number plate or filled out a wrong country of registration, starting from 19 April you can request a refund”, said Lucie Bartáková from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI). Ms Bartáková adds, “The claim applies to any e-vignette purchased in the past, provably assigned to a non-existing number plate, bought online or in a shop. However, if the driver bought an e-vignette for a number plate, which exists but has a different owner, the refund is not possible. We have to protect the system from a potential misuse.”

How does it work?

1)   Fill out an application (Application for the Refund of the Motorway Vignette Fee) on edalnice.cz

2)   Attach a simple copy of the Confirmation of Payment of the Motorway Vignette Fee. In case you entered a wrong country of registration, attach also a simple copy of vehicle registration book.

3)   Foreign drivers must also include an extract from a vehicle registry of the country listed as a country of registration. The extract must be officially translated to Czech (except of Slovakia).

The filled out application shall be then delivered to the SFDI by one of the following ways:

•   Electronically with an electronic signature (electronic signature, identification number of data mailbox, authorised conversion of officially verified signature); or
•   By mail, or in person, to the SFDI (the application must include an officially verified signature to prove the applicant’s identity).

The SFDI will then send a request to the Ministry of Transport to verify, whether the claim is justified, i.e. that the vehicle with such number plate does not exist. If the non-existence is proven, the money will be refunded to the applicant’s bank account from which the original payment was done. If the applicant paid for the e-vignette in cash, they must fill out a bank account number in the application.

Since the beginning of e-vignette sale in December 2020, more than 2,335,264 have been sold, out of which more than 80% via an online shop.

Programme DOPRAVA 2020+: Third public call announced

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 09:03:39 GMT

Support of research, development and innovations in transport is one of Ministry’s priorities. The programme aims to promote projects with applicable solutions, especially in terms of increased transport accessibility, its sustainability and safety, while taking into account societal needs. Another goal is to accelerate development of technologies and knowledge in the Czech Republic and by doing so increase its competitiveness. The projects focus not only on transport infrastructure or means, but also on a systemic approach towards transport, development of automation and digitalisation or use of satellite data.

The biggest difference compared to the previous call is a significantly higher allocation of funds up to CZK 850 million (out of which 350 million may be drawn only after an approval of the European Resilience and Recovery Facility). Other conditions remain; the project grant shall be provided at the maximum amount of CZK 50 million and the maximum intensity of state aid shall be 80%. The increased funds will be partly used on the main topic of the third call, which is research and development in transport digitalisation.

The call launched on 15 April 2021 at 9:00 and will be closed on 16 June 2021. More information are available on the website of the Technology Agency. TA ČR and the Ministry plan to organise an online seminar on the third call on 4 May 2021 at 10:00.

Final exams in driving schools allowed from 12 April

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 18:01:36 GMT

The number of persons in one exam room must not exceed 10 and all participants are obliged to wear an FFP2 respirator. The duty of wearing respirators applies also to all participants sitting in one car during the practical final exam. It is not necessary to bring a negative test on Coronavirus to the exam. Rules concerning both theoretical and practical training remain unchanged.

Photo: Secondary Technical School Hranice

Payments for e-vignettes assigned to a non-existing number plate will be returned

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 13:33:42 GMT

“The current legislation does not allow the e-vignette system to check whether the filled out number plate exists or not. The Ministry of Transport will help to solve these situations by verifying and providing us with the information”, explained Lucie Bartáková, the director of Financial Funds Management Department in SFDI.

The refund option will apply to the cases, when people filled out a non-existing number plate by mistake or a wrong registration country. If they accidentally filled out a wrong but existing number plate, the refund will not be possible. “We need to secure the system from a potential misuse. It is also impossible to verify that the purchase was done by a mistake and not upon an agreement with the vehicle’s operator”, added Ms Bartáková.

Customers will file a request for refund and attach a copy of the vehicle registration book clearly showing the number plate and a confirmation of payment for a non-existing number plate. After SFDI receives the request, it will ask the Ministry of Transport to verify the existence, or non-existence of the number plate and subsequently refund the payment to the account from which the payment was done.

Refund claim will be possible after all legal materials are prepared, change of terms and conditions is completed and the system adjusted. We presume that people will have the option to file a request in mid-May. They will also be allowed to request the refund retrospectively, i.e. everyone who paid for an e-vignette assigned to a non-existing number plate since the beginning of sales in December.

You can find all information about the electronic vignette project on edalnice.cz.

Transport statistics for 2020

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 08:49:46 GMT

Preliminary transport statistics for 2020 are available here.

The mostly hit transport mode in 2020 was the air transport. Air carriers registered a fall by 84% compared to the previous year. The decrease is mostly visible in the second quarter when the volume reached only 2% of that in 2019, and then in the fourth quarter with a 10% volume. The airports registered a decrease by 80% of checked-in passengers in 2020.

The public transport accounted for a yearly decrease by 30%. We can also see a drop in passenger rail and bus transport.

The pandemic has not dramatically affected the freight transport. For example, data for rail freight transport for the entire 2020 show a decrease in transported tonnes by approx. 8% and in transport volume by 6%. However, in the fourth quarter the volume of transported goods in tonnes increase by 3% and the transport volume in gross tonne-kilometre (kgtm)* by 4%.

The road freight transport registered a significant increase in transport volume in 2020 (almost 45%); the volume of transported goods in tonnes fell by approx. 9%. The increase is given mainly by a significantly growing trend in the international road freight transport. Although, we need to point out that despite this significant growth in kgtm, the values of transport volume are on the level of 2015, when the decrease started.

Data will be used for further statistical purposes outside the Ministry, for example by the Czech Statistical Office or other institutions.

* The product of total weight and the distance moved by a train.

Good navigation status of Oder river: Czechia and Poland agreed on an environment-friendly option

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 04:37:47 GMT

The Czech Republic and Poland coordinate not only preparation of navigability of Oder river, but also inclusion of Oder waterway into the Trans-European transport network (TEN-T).

The Moravian-Silesian region offers unique options to connect all transport modes. Czechia and Poland continue to work on a cross-border section of high-speed rail Bohumín – Ostrava – Přerov and prepare modernisation of the entire Ostrava railway node.

The Government Council for National Road Safety supported a change of penalty-point system

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 13:07:58 GMT

The Government Council for National Road Safety supported a change of penalty-point system and an increase of sanctions for the most serious road offences in a government amendment to Road Traffic Act. The Council also gave its consent on an amendment to Act on Police and Customs, which should allow the police to withhold a vehicle’s licence plate if the driver had an unpaid fine and refused to pay the debt.

“Both draft amendments are an important tool to increase law enforcement and effectivity of sanctions for dangerous drivers. However, there is a serious risk that the amendment to Road Traffic Act, which inter alia introduces further driving bans for serious offences and a clearer penalty-point system, will be postponed and the legislation process will not be finished by the end of this electoral mandate”, said Mr Tomáš Neřold, head of National Road Safety Unit at the Ministry.

The government submitted both amendments to the Chamber of Deputies in August/September 2020. The change of penalty-point system has not been discussed yet (amendment to Road Traffic Act, Document No. 987/0, part 1/10). The amendment to Act on Police and Customs is in the second reading (Document No. 983/0, part 1/6).

The Ministry of Transport also considers enforcing a legislative priority for changes in the Road Traffic Act by the end of the current electoral mandate. The change of penalty-point system and sanctions for violating road traffic rules should be effective from 2022. The proposal lowers number of penalty categories to three and increases sanctions for intentional violation of rules and endangering other road users. On the other hand, the amendment lowers sanctions for a slight speeding, wrong parking or forgetting a driving licence. The police also wants to enforce a clearly defined safe distance between vehicles.

The updated penalty-point system is a result of a 4-year expert discussion, which was open also to public. The penalty-point system, amount of penalties and length of driving bans have not been changed in the Czech Republic for more than 14 years; since the introduction of the penalty-point system in 2006. The amendment successfully passed inter-ministerial comment procedure as well as assessment by the Government Legislative Council.

Around 500 people die on Czech roads each year, economical losses from traffic collisions amount to CZK 80 billion per year. The new government National Road Safety Strategy aims to decrease number of death toll to half within 10 years. The Member States of the EU and the UN share the same goal.

“An effective supervision and law enforcement are one of the five priorities set in the new National Road Safety Strategy. We also need to improve safety of roads (by elimination of accident-prone areas) and behaviour of young drivers in emergencies. But as we can see in other EU Member States, which have recently increased sanctions for dangerous offences, increase of road safety goes hand in hand with clearer and tougher sanctions for drivers who put others in danger”, added Mr Neřold.

The Government Council for National Road Safety is a permanent advisory body of the government. Among its members are ministries responsible for increasing road safety, representatives of regions and cities, Transport Research Centre, Czech Insurers’ Bureau or Automotive Industry Association.

More information about the Government Council for National Road Safety are available here (in Czech language only).

Increased number of electric and gas powered vehicles in 2020

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 15:24:09 GMT

“In cooperation with the Transport Research Centre (CDV), we regularly publish data on vehicles monitored under the National Action Plan for Clean Mobility. Gas powered vehicles are, and for some time will be, prevailing in the most closely observed category (M1). We register over 105,000 LPG vehicles and more than 21,000 CNG vehicles. We also registered nearly 10,000 electric passenger cars with external charging, out of which 7,109 accounted for battery electric vehicles (increase by 90%, BEV). Although gas powered cars prevail, last year’s data from the Czech Republic and EU show that the trend will gradually shift towards electric vehicles. For example, last year the share of registered gas powered and electric passenger cars was 3.85%, out of which 2.58% accounted for electric cars”, said Mr Jan Bezděkovský, who is responsible for clean mobility agenda at the Ministry of Transport.

Table 1: Number of registered vehicles based on category and fuel (by 31 December 2020)

*newly registered vehicles according to data from Car Importers Association (SDA), an actual number of PHEV can be slightly higher – for example imports, some registration authorities place some LPG vehicles from CRV under petrol/diesel fuel category (especially older vehicles)

By the end of last year, a total of 6.13 million passenger cars were registered in the Czech Republic. The overall sale of new vehicles decreased annually by 19%. The sale of electric cars on the other hand increased by 331% and of plug-in hybrids by 318%.

Updated detailed analyses published on the Ministry’s website show:

• An increase in the number of L-category vehicles with external charging (for example motorcycles) – 1,584 registered last year (an annual increase by 41%);
• That concerning production brand, the most frequently registered battery electric cars in category M1 belonged to ŠKODA (1,654 pc, 23%), in category N to ALKÉ (125 pc, 27%) and in category L to HECHT (972 pc, 19%).

Table 2: Number of registered BEV in category M1 with regard to the year of production and record of the last registration

Chart 1: Evolution of BEV category M1 registered in CRV according to the year of production and production brand

About CIVINET project

CIVINET network, in cooperation with CDV, publishes information and current analyses of car fleet and infrastructure helping to monitor the development of clean mobility in the Czech Republic as well as the EU. The information is provided for the EU, detailed information then for the Czech Republic.

“With the help from the Ministry of Transport, we will regularly update the data. We have currently prepared an interactive design showing registration of new passenger cars in the EU, during the year we will prepare the same scheme for the Czech Republic. As for the EU registrations, users can apply filters (year, type of fuel and country) to simulate data as needed. We also plan to incorporate other features from the analysis to this format so that the data are available not only to experts, but also to public. We want to have compound data about vehicles as well as charging and fuel infrastructure in one place”, adds Mr Lukáš Kadula, a long-term clean mobility projects expert in CDV.

The upcoming third call for public tender “DOPRAVA 2020+” will offer up to CZK 850 million

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 15:59:55 GMT

Compared to the previous calls, the allocated financial resources will amount to CZK 850 million (out of which CZK 350 million is bound with the approval of Recovery and Resilience Facility). The maximum project support up to CZK 50 million is maintained.

You can find other provisional parameters and information about the third call here. Detailed information and conditions for submission of project proposal will be defined in the tender documentation after announcement of the public tender. Candidates can sign up for an online seminar about the tender. Details will be published on the website of the Technology Agency.

The Ministry of Transport, which came up with the programme and defines its focus, aims to promote projects with practical results. These projects can be then used to increase transport accessibility, sustainability and safety. Apart from projects focused on transport infrastructure or means, tender topics also include systemic approach to transport, development of automation and digitalisation or use of satellite data. The projects, which are currently promoted, are focusing for example on safety of rail and air traffic, transport infrastructure or bridge diagnostics technologies, clean mobility including use of hydrogen, processing of so-called big data for monitoring of road network, research of sensors for autonomous vehicles or vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

The Czech government adopted Transport Policy until 2027. The main priority is the enviroment

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 16:12:11 GMT

“We have managed to reduce the energy consumption in industry and households. However, in transport the consumption increases approx. by 3.5 % per year. With ca. 25 % of share, the transport sector is now the largest energy consumer,” said minister of transport Karel Havlíček in relation to the adopted Transport Policy of the Czech Republic for 2021–2027 with an Outlook to 2050.

The long-term vision for the transport network envisages that the Czech Republic and all regions will have a transport system corresponding to transport needs in passenger as well as freight transport. It will promote sustainable development of the economy and an inclusive policy targeted regions with structural disadvantages. This transport system will also respond to sustainability requirements meaning that it will become neutral in terms of its influence on global (not only climatic) changes.

The aim is not to cut down transport but to help it to become less energy-intensive and more environmentally friendly. Society demands to increase energy efficiency in transport. “Energy savings in transport require for a specific approach towards individual transport modes, i.e. long-distance transport, transport in large cities and urban areas and rural transport. We decided to tailor the new transport strategy to these demands,” adds Mr Havlíček.

The Transport Policy of the Czech Republic determines strategic targets such as “Sustainable mobility”, “Territorial cohesion” and “Society 4.0 in Transport”. Each strategic target then sets specific goals for each transport mode, defines specific measures as well as responsible entities.

The vision of Transport Policy will be achieved by the following three consecutive steps:

1.   We will seek measures enabling the efficient transport of people and goods so that the transport needs decrease without jeopardizing economic development (optimisation of transport needs).

2.   The transport system must be based on a multimodal approach, which uses the benefits of each transport mode, and on interdisciplinary cooperation.

3.   The development of individual transport modes is crucial so that we can improve the accessibility of regions, transport needs and reduce impacts on the environment.

The Transport Policy represents a top-level document for the transport sector and its targets are further elaborated in follow-up plans, conceptions, strategies and processes. These are then assessed in terms of creating conditions, inputs and measures to ensure the defence and safety of the Czech Republic. The document is available for download at the website of the Ministry of Transport.

A survey showed differences in travel behaviour between men and women

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 09:07:15 GMT

Until 2019, the Czech Republic lacked a general, gender selected data, which could help to analyse transport with regard to how women and men behave, on national level. The aim of a project “Transport behaviour of women in numbers” is to provide these data. The results are based on answers obtained from 8,900 Czech respondents older than 18 years (4,336 men and 4,564 women).

The traditional division of roles in the society is especially visible when it comes to purpose of journeys. The biggest difference between women and men can be seen for journeys to work and business trips, which are predominantly done by men. By contrast, women, typically of age between 30 and 49 years, perform journeys to accompany or take care of a person or to do regular shopping. A multimodality principle or so-called chain-journeys, i.e. running more errands in one journey, are more typical for women.

Chart 1: Journey frequency according to purpose and sex (in %) (men N = 4,336; women N = 4,564)

Transport planning usually does not take into account specific needs of women. In a respondent group that expressed a low level of satisfaction with means allowing them to travel anywhere anytime (in total 16 %), nearly two thirds were women (64 %). The level of satisfaction with transport services is also influenced by the size of a place of residence, missing connections during the day or poor access to stations. People, who use their car less often, below-average, do not have a driving licence or are not active drivers, are also less satisfied.

Despite relatively dense network of public transport, we can identify factors showing car dependency, which usually leads to transport deprivation especially in relation to women. More often, men have a driving licence and are active drivers. The most significant gender differences are apparent in the oldest age group , because higher age leads to a decrease in number of female drivers. In the oldest age group (71+), only 24 % of women are active drivers compared to 78 % of men. However, we can see differences in owning a driving licence and being an active driver in all age groups. The highest number of active female drivers (60 %) is in the age group of 30 – 49 years. In comparison, in the same group, there is 82 % of active male drivers.

Chart 2: Ownership of a driving licence according to sex in individual age categories (in %) or according to size of place of residence (in %) (men N = 4,306; women N = 4,532)

A vast majority of people, who have a driving licence and are active drivers, also have a car for personal use. A sudden loss of the possibility to use a car would deteriorate their transport options. This was confirmed by 69 % of active drivers.

Even though both men and women consider owning a car as an integral part of life in a modern society, women are more likely to support issues of sustainable transport, such as building public spaces without cars, a need to solve negative impacts of motoring on the environment or an idea to reduce use of car. Women are more sensible to alternative and sustainable mobility and see how extensive road transport affects the environment. Women are also more used to walking than men. While women stated they walk in average 131 minutes per day, men indicated 113 minutes. This probably stems from the need to accompany children or do regular shopping.

Chart 3: Attitude towards statement “People should use their car less to protect the environment” (in %) (men N = 4,336; women N = 4,564)

The survey confirmed that feeling of security, accessibility and a high-quality transport services are of a key importance, especially for women. In general, this tendency grows with higher age. Also, pregnant women, parents with small children, elderly people and carers regardless of sex are more sensible.

At the time of the data collection, the Czech Republic was going through the 1st wave of COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of transport behaviour, the lockdown situation had an impact on approx. half of respondents. The survey shows that mainly women changed their transport behaviour. The survey “Transport behaviour of women in numbers” builds on a study “Women in transport”, which was prepared by the Transport Research Centre in 2019. Both studies were carried out thanks to the OPE Implementation of the government strategy for gender equality and related activities of the Ministry of Transport. One of the main goals was to focus on specific needs of citizens in Ministry’s strategic documents. In this regards, the survey brought first data, which could be taken into consideration during preparation of transport plans in the Czech Republic.

The current trends, which are being pushed forward in many European cities and villages (e.g. Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, London and other smaller cities and villages), are stemming from sustainable development principles and so called gender planning of transport services, infrastructure and territorial planning. This fair approach have the potential to eliminate barriers that are limiting to entire groups of citizens (including children, elderly persons, women, carers and persons with reduced mobility, orientation and communication) even in areas, which do not have to be discriminatory at a first sight, increase their economic activity, reasonably allocate resources and overall improve living conditions.

In February, police controls caught almost two thousand drivers without e-vignette

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:50:18 GMT

The police officers uncovered not only drivers without a valid e-vignette, but also those who made some sort of mistake during the purchase. “If the drivers buy an e-vignette with immediate validity and enter a wrong licence plate number, it cannot be corrected later. We need to protect the system from potential misuse. A typical example is that someone buys an e-vignette in the morning, uses it during the day and then cancels the payment in the evening,” pointed out Martin Opatrný, spokesperson of CENDIS, the company responsible for the e-vignette system.

The safest way is to buy the e-vignette a couple of days ahead. This option allows for correcting potential mistakes. Customers who wish to buy the e-vignette at a post office or a petrol station EuroOil must check the details immediately on the spot. Mistakes can be changed only within 15 minutes after the purchase at the same branch. Again, the reason is to protect the system from potential misuse.

When buying an e-vignette, pay attention to the following:

1.   The new one-year vignettes are not valid for a calendar year, but for any 365 days. So, if I do not need to buy a vignette with validity from 1 February, when the old one-year vignette expires, I can buy a new one in spring before my first ride on a motorway.

2.   Regardless the sales channel (e-shop, post offices or EuroOil petrol stations), it is best to buy the e-vignette at least a couple of days ahead. By doing so, I will avoid potential issues with incorrect data.

3.   If I wish to pay via bank transfer, I cannot set a validity date of the e-vignette immediately but only 5 working days after submitting a payment order. For example, if I submit a payment order on 11 January, I can set the beginning of validity from 18 January.

4.   If I buy the e-vignette at a post office of Česká pošta or EuroOil petrol station, I must check the entered data immediately on the spot! The change is possible only within 15 minutes on the same branch; otherwise, it is impossible to make changes, since the e-vignette is valid immediately.

5.   If I buy the e-vignette via e-shop and set the beginning of its validity immediately, I cannot change the plate number. I must enter the data correctly, even the e-mail address, otherwise, I will not receive a confirmation about the payment.

Buy at - www.edalnice.cz

Czech sky and aeronautical charts without flight routes

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 13:38:38 GMT

To put it simply, the typical “lines”, i.e. flight routes above flight level FL 95 (approx. 3 kilometres) will disappear from air traffic controllers’ screens and aeronautical charts. Compared to the previous strictly defined structures of flight routes, FRACZECH allows the air space users to plan their flight on so-called free routes between selected entry and exit point. The main benefit of FRACZECH is a more flexible and faster reaction to traffic flows’ changes and air operators’ requirements. It brings more variability in planning and in some cases straighter trajectory. Flight plan will better correspond to actual track.

It will also allow faster reaction on changes in a demand of the ANS users and help to keep our air space attractive. This is essential in times of a significant drop in air transport volume, when each aircraft flying over our air space counts.

The European legislation sets an obligation to implement FRA as a prerequisite for integration into a transnational FRA space, which will undoubtedly multiply the abovementioned benefits. It will significantly straighten the air traffic flow over Europe.

Before

After

Source: Air Navagation Services of the Czech Republic, http://www.rlp.cz/en/Pages/homepage.aspx

Workers are back on constructions. This year, they will build 46.5 km of new motorways.

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 13:24:00 GMT

“This year’s budget of the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD) amounts to CZK 61 billion, i.e. by CZK 6 billion more than in the last year. There is no need to worry that we stop investing into road constructions, as it was during the previous crisis,” said minister of transport Karel Havlíček and added, “We are currently in the process of constructing 211.4 km of roads and motorways and we will begin with another 165 kilometres this year.”

D1 motorway

This year’s construction season on D1 motorway will be the last. Only 50 kilometres on five sections remain to be modernised. The workers will finish the modernisation in October this year, so after a long nine years, drivers can use the new motorway between Prague and Brno.

Newly opened motorways

This year, we will also finish 46.5 kilometres of new “green-field” motorways. The longest two sections are on D11. The first one is 15 km long going from Hradec Králové to Smiřice and then follows a 7 km long section from Smiřice to Jaroměř. A 12 km long section from Opatovice to Časy will open this year on D35. Also, the construction of D6 in direction to Karlovy Vary continues; we will open a 5 km long Lubenec bypass. Otrokovice bypass on D55 will open in Moravia.

Launched constructions

ŘSD plans to launch construction of 100 km of new motorways. The construction will begin on new sections of D6 in direction to Karlovy Vary, on D55 between Staré Město and Moravský Písek, on D59 between Hulín and Fryšták or on D3 in direction to Austrian borders on a section Třebonín – Kaplice railways station. A crucial point is the beginning of construction of 32 kilometres on D4 through the first PPP motorway project in the Czech Republic.

1st class roads

We will also continue with constructions on 1st class roads. Currently, 57 kilometres are in progress, out of which 22.9 km will be opened this year. These are for example Chrudim bypass, Krnov bypass, Opava south bypasses or Osová Bítýška bypass in Vysočina. We will also finish reconstruction of a Rádelský Mlýn junction by Jablonec nad Nisou or road I/27 Plzeň, Třemošský rybník – Orlík. This year, we will launch a construction of Jaroměř, Mělník, Nová Paka, Klatovy or Olbramovice bypasses, road I/53 from Znojmo to Lechovice or road I/34 from Stráž nad Nežárkou to Lásenice. In total, we will construct 64.9 kilometres of 1st class roads.

Like every year, this year we will concentrate on road works on motorways and 1st class roads. The most important road works will be done on D2 and D5. We will also continue with the reconstruction of bridges. All investment activities are available on an interactive map of ŘSD.

Railway in 2021

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 13:38:39 GMT

“This year, the budget of SFDI (the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure) reached a historical high, which is reflected also in rail transport. We continue to make railway safer whether on level crossings or in implementing ETCS. We also renovate railway buildings. This year, the investments will amount to CZK 1.7 billion. We will complete renovation of buildings for example in Havířov or Strakonice”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

Správa železnic also plans to reconstruct up to 200 level crossings for ca. CZK 2 billion this year. In addition to the current warning lights, up to 40 level crossings will be equipped with crossing barriers. These barriers will be installed also on other 30 spots, which are currently equipped only with cross signs. Precautionary video monitoring system will be installed on 8 level crossings and 11 level crossings will be cancelled completely.

The biggest reconstruction this year will take place on a route Rumburk – Velký Šenov for CZK 334 million. The successful reconstruction will eliminate speed limits for modern vehicles and shorten travel times. Among other important constructions are also repairing works between stations Kryry and Vroutek by Louny (CZK 190 million) or a double-track railway between Bystřička and Jablůnka by Vsetín for CZK 173 million. Works will continue also on a route Horažďovice – Žichovice.

A significant change is planned for railway buildings. The renovation of the façade of Fantova building at Prague Main Station will end this year followed by the first phase of renovations of the interior. After the project is finished, construction works will begin also on a grand railway building in Pardubice. Reconstruction of other buildings such as Tábor, Opava-západ station, Pilsen Main Station or Pilsen-Jižní Předměstí will also begin. Works on railway buildings in Beroun and České Budějovice will continue. An interesting building in terms of architecture will be completed in Havířov.

Správa železnic will continue to increase safety on railways with direct traffic control. For more information about all constructions are available on an interactive map on the website of Správa železnic.

After a winter break, workers are back on D1 motorway. Works will end this year

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 09:12:12 GMT

“This year, just under 50 kilometres of D1 motorway remain to be modernized, out of which 8 kilometres on a section 12 by Humpolec will be completed already in spring without any significant restrictions for drivers. In the course of the year, there will be ongoing works on four sections in a length of approx. 41 kilometres,” specifies minister of transport Karel Havlíček and adds, “After nine years, the modernization of D1 motorway between Mirošovice and Kývalka in a total length of 161 kilometres will end.”

Apart from section 12, works will continue on section 2 between Mirošovice and Hvězdonice, on section 11 between Koberovice and Humpolec, on section 16 between Velký Beranov and Měřín and on section 23 between Devět Křížů and Ostrovačice. Drivers should expect some restrictions on these sections. Minister Havlíček asks drivers to remain patient again this year.

As in previous years, drivers can use two narrowed traffic lanes in both directions apart from short-term exceptions. The Ministry of Transport and the Road and Motorway Directorate will deploy all measures to protect drivers as well as workers on constructions, which are close to traffic. These measures will include section speed measuring to make traffic smoother, temporary low crash barriers, highlighted traffic signs and movable information system.

Completing the D1 motorway is one of minister’s priorities: “We want to finish the works by October, meaning we need to avoid any other complications. I am ready for regular inspections of all modernized sections,” plans Mr Havlíček and calls upon drivers, “This year will be difficult for construction workers as well as for drivers. However, it is the final year. Besides being patient, I ask for discipline, adherence to smooth traffic rules and keeping safe distance to avoid traffic jams caused by accidents.”

The modernization of 161 kilometres long section on D1 between Mirošovice and Kývalka has begun in 2013 and will end in autumn 2021. The construction is based on a total removal of the original surface and subbase and construction of a new motorway in the same track at full operation, including all road flyovers.

More information about the construction are available at dopravniinfo.cz or novaD1.cz.

European Space Agency seeks new astronauts

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 16:58:36 GMT

The call is open to citizens of all 22 ESA Member States, including the Czech Republic, and 2 associate states (Slovenia and Lithuania). Other requirements include having a Master’s degree in a relevant field, at least three years of relevant professional experience after graduation and be fluent in English (level C1). Applicants must also submit a medical certificate that shows they are medically qualified for a private pilot licence (the applicant does not have to be a pilot). The application period will run from 31 March 2021 until 28 May 2021. More information are available at ESA website.

Applicants shall expect a huge competition, since the astronaut team will not be large. ESA has already stated that the reason is to avoid a long pre-flight time for crewmembers and a loss of the best years of their lives. They expect to select approx. 4 permanent crewmembers (so-called career astronauts) and ca. 20 substitutes. However, in the previous calls, ESA received thousands of applications.

Career astronauts will fly to the space regardless the amount of Member State’s contributions or the industry and scientific community reputation. A substitute candidate on the other hand will hold a specific status of an unselected finalist, who will receive a very limited training (ca. 2 weeks), keep their medical certificate in effect and be available as a substitute for career astronauts in case someone left the crew. They can also be selected to become part of the crew if there is a need for other astronauts due to a higher number of flying opportunities. They can be also selected for specific missions, especially national missions, which are paid entirely by the Member or associate State. After the end of such mission, the candidate will return to substitutes.

ESA is not seeking only astronauts. Since many agency’s employees are retiring, ESA is setting an ambitious goal; in the next 10 years, it plans to recruit 100 new employees each year. Therefore, hundreds of calls for engineers, scientists, administrative personnel and other related careers will be announced on a regular basis. Since ESA prefers proportional representation of nationalities even among its employees, new doors open also to the Czech candidates.

However, this is not all for Czech workers. Previously, we have informed that from 2021 a new European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) will be based in Prague. This means new opportunities for Czech companies and scientists. The Czech Republic has a unique opportunity to shape itself in development of technologies and applications with a high added value. The new agency will replace the current GSA agency and will manage a significantly wider range of activities. The Czech candidates can consequently expect an increased amount of job opportunities in this prestigious field.

Construction of the remaining 32 kilometres of D4 motorway will start in March

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 06:58:34 GMT

The total length of the contract is fixed to 28 years, out of which 44 months is dedicated to design and construction phase (i.e. 3 years and 8 months) and 292 months to operation and maintenance phase (i.e. 24 years and 4 months).

“The newly constructed modernized motorway will be owned by the state during the duration of the contract as well as after its termination,” assures minister Havlíček and adds that “the right and obligation to operate, maintain and draw benefits in a form of availability payment will be ensured by the concessionaire. The revenues from performance and time-based charging will remain the standard income of the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI) and the profits from these charges will by no means enter to the defined payment mechanism”.

The availability payment is distributed proportionally by individual sections according to the length and the amount of invested costs. Concerning the existing sections, the availability payment will be made after the first new section of D4 motorway is opened. The first monthly availability payment is expected to be paid in November 2024 given that according to the initial time schedule all new sections should be opened at once on 31 October 2024.

However, the amount of the availability payment is bound to compliance with agreed quality and availability criteria for individual motorway sections, as minister Havlíček pointed out. If the driving lanes are of poor quality or unavailable, derogations defined in the contract will be applied. “In theory, availability payments may be reduced to zero at zero-availability. Employees of State Fund for Transport Infrastructure and Ministry of Transport will conduct regular controls of quality and availability”, adds the minister.

Before the concession agreement becomes fully effective, all suspensive conditions defined in the agreement must be fulfilled. The most important condition is to reach a so-called financial closure, i.e. closure of all agreements on funding at margins clearly fixed beforehand, which were a part of the final offer. To ensure successful financial closure, the concessionaire presented financial security in the amount of CZK 75 million during the signing of the agreement. The concessionaire is taking all steps to reach financial closure by 17 March 2021.

The deputies agreed on completing and maintaining D4 motorway by way of a PPP project

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 15:44:50 GMT

“The construction should begin in March and the new 32 kilometres of the motorway will be finished in 2024. The selected concessionaire will operate and maintain the motorway in a perfect shape for another 25 years, together with already constructed 16 kilometres of D4 motorway and I/20 road”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The Czech Republic will start to repay the motorway after its completion and will take over the maintenance and operation after 25 years in ‘as-good-as-new’ state. The state is ordering not only the construction but also the maintenance service oppose to a traditional government procurement model. Furthermore, it also transfers the risks of construction and long-term operation and renovation to an external (private) partner, who is also responsible for the preparation phase and improvement of driving on the existing 16 km of the motorway. The two-way rest area Krsice, the centre of Správa a údržba dálnic (national motorway manager) in Lety u Písku, as well as a more advanced motorway technology compared to the projects of Road and Motorway Directorate, are also a part of the PPP project.

We need to compare the price, which the state will pay for a takeover of all these orders from the concessionaire, with traditional costs for state construction and 25 years of maintenance. Besides, if the quality of the motorway deteriorates, the state will be entitled to fine the operator by monthly instalment deductions, which is not possible on traditional motorways. The main advantage of using a PPP project is that the entire remainder of the D4 motorway will be completed at once without long-standing provisional measures, which in the end leads to a less comfortable ride.

“In the Czech Republic, we now have record SFDI (the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure) budgets, but we must be prepared for a potential decrease in contributions from Europeans funds in the future, especially concerning the constructions outside the Trans-European Network, such as bypasses on 1st class roads or regional routes. We will also have to increase co-investments when receiving resources from Europe”, said Mr Havlíček to clarify the reasons behind the Chamber of Deputies’ decision.

PPP projects represent an option to ensure smooth continuation and financing of construction. Successful implementation of the PPP project on the D4 motorway means a milestone to further use the PPP model for construction and operation of transport infrastructure.

The Czech construction company Eurovia will be responsible for the construction and design phase of the project.

You can find more information here.

The journey from Prague to České Budějovice will be faster by 25 minutes thanks to new tunnels

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 11:53:32 GMT

“We are currently building key railway and motorway with national impact in the South-Bohemian region. Travelling by train from Prague to České Budějovice will be faster and more comfortable thanks to the modernization of the 4th railway corridor. Another step to finishing the D3 motorway in direction to borders with Austria is a 20 km long bypass around České Budějovice, which is currently in construction. This year, we will start the construction of another section from Třebonín to Kaplice”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The works on the 4th railway corridor to České Budějovice continue even during the winter. Správa železnic (the national railway infrastructure manager) works on tunnels Mezno and Deboreč to make them waterproof. The modernization of the corridor is taking place in sections Sudoměřice-Votice and Soběslav-Dubí. Both of them will be finished in 2023. Parts of the sections are designed for a speed up to 200 km/h, which will shorten the travel time between the capital city and the South-Bohemian capital.

Since summer 2020, České Budějovice is restoring the heritage-protected railway station building. All publicly available spaces will be restored and new facilities for employees of Správa železnic will be built. The restoration also includes reconstruction of the building’s outer covering, windows and roof. All works are envisaged to end in 2022 making the building a respectable welcoming place for passengers travelling to the South-Bohemian region.

“In terms of road transport, a 20 km long bypass around České Budějovice, a part of D3 motorway, is now under construction. Road and Motorway Directorate carries out works on two sections – from Úsilné to Hodějovice (7.2 km) and from Hodějovice to Třebonín (12.5 km). Tunnel Pohůrka, which had to be technically modified due to a groundwater leakage, is planned to be constructed within the first section. Therefore, the tunnel construction had to be postponed to the end of 2024”, added the minister.

This year, the Road and Motorway Directorate plans to start with works on another part of D3 motorway in direction to Austria, i.e. a section Třebonín – Kaplice railway station (8.5 km).

A 211.8 km of motorways and 1st class roads are in construction, out of which 106.4 km consist of greenfield motorways, 50 km of D1 modernisation and 57.1 km of 1st class roads.

From 1 February, people can drive on a motorway only with e-vignette

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 09:29:39 GMT

Since December 2020, when the sale launched, till the end of January drivers bought 1,354,393 e-vignettes, out of which 1,248,960 were one-year e-vignettes, 23,830 one-month e-vignettes and 81,603 10-days e-vignettes.

“Although the chapter of old vignettes is finished, the new electronic one opens doors to the future while bringing many benefits, such as an easy purchase for individuals and companies, rolling validity and especially no need to stick the vignette to their windscreen and then scraping it off”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The rolling validity represents the main benefit for many drivers. While the old paper vignette was valid for a calendar year, the new one can be used for 365 days with any starting date.

“Many drivers drive out on a motorway later than on 1 February. So, the new e-vignette offers them the possibility to buy it for example before Easter or summer holidays without shortening its validity”, pointed out Martin Opatrný, spokesperson of CENDIS, which is responsible for e-vignettes.

“To avoid any mistakes when filling out the licence plate number, we advise drivers to look into their vehicle registration certificate. It might seem a bit impractical or ridiculous, but it proved being useful. If I buy the e-vignette with an immediate validity and make a mistake during the purchase, I cannot correct it or request a refund”, recommends Mr. Opatrný.

Drivers must pay a toll for using Czech motorways since 1 January 1995. Back then, the toll applied to 569.9 out of 651.2 kilometres of the entire motorway network and expressways (motorway type roads). At first, only one-year vignettes were available. These cost CZK 400 for a car. For the first two years, the same price applied to owners of motorbikes. For a comparison, the average monthly wage in 1995 was CZK 8,804.

The price of vignettes gradually increased up to the current CZK 1,500, which has been used for the past nine years. In 2000, one-month and 10-days vignettes were introduced in the Czech Republic as they are used in many countries with an electronic vignette system.

For the entire 25-year history of using vignettes, people bought 122,172,122 pieces.

What to be aware of when buying an e-vignette

Approximately 3 % of buyers make a mistake when purchasing the e-vignette, mostly when filling out details. People usually state a wrong e-mail address, licence plate number or use a wrong payment identification number during the payment. Unfortunately, some mistakes are irreversible. If people buy an e-vignette with an immediate validity and enter a wrong licence plate number, there is no option to correct the mistake. We need to protect the system from a potential misuse. A typical example is that someone will buy an e-vignette in the morning, use it during the day and then cancel the payment in the evening.

The safest way is to buy the e-vignette online at least a couple of days ahead. The mistakes can be then corrected. When buying the e-vignette at a post office or EuroOil petrol station, the drivers must check the details immediately on the spot. Any changes can be done only within the first 15 minutes after the purchase on the same branch. Again, this is due to the protection of the system from a potential misuse.

All information including instructions are available at edalnice.cz.

One million of e-vignettes sold

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 13:56:55 GMT

One of the biggest advantages of the new e-vignette is its rolling validity. “Compared to the old one-year vignettes, new ones are not valid for a calendar year, but for 365 days. Drivers can set the validity of their e-vignette themselves. There is no need to purchase it by 1 February, if they wish to drive out to the motorway later in the year”, pointed out Martin Opatrný, spokesperson of CENDIS, which is responsible for e-vignettes.

Nevertheless, it is recommended to buy the vignette at least a couple of days ahead, so changes could be made. If drivers make a mistake during the purchase (especially when filling out the licence plate number), it is possible to correct it later. When buying the vignette at a post office or a petrol station EuroOil, they must check the details immediately on the spot, because changes can be made only within 15 minutes after the purchase.

Another frequent mistake is filling out a wrong e-mail address. This detail is also crucial, because after the purchase is completed, drivers will receive a payment confirmation with an authorisation code to this e-mail address. Drivers need to know the authorisation code to sign in to their account at eDalnice.cz to manage their vignette and for example correct the licence plate number or postpone the beginning of the validity. However, this is possible only if the e-vignette has a rolling validity.

“The rules might seem strict. However, they are set in a way to prevent misuse. Somebody would buy the vignette in the morning, use it for driving on a motorway during the day and in the evening request a cancellation of the payment. It is of course understandable that people make mistakes due to lack of attention. Nonetheless, it is almost impossible to tell a difference between an actual mistake and an attempt to abuse the system”, explained Mr Opatrný.

Every vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes with at least four wheels must have an e-vignette. Drivers do not have to purchase the e-vignette for trailers and motorcycles. However, driver must buy the e-vignette for a quad bike, although it is classified as a motorcycle.

Already 1,040,088 e-vignettes in a total amount of CZK 1.5 billion has been sold since 1 December 2020.

All information including instructions are available at www.edalnice.cz.

Safer operation of unmanned aircraft. The government adopted amendment allowing to control drones

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 19:16:23 GMT

“We wish to use drones and modern technologies in transport in compliance with the European and world trends and at the same time ensure adequate safety and privacy for people. In pursuance of digitalisation of the public administration, we also allow registering drones, applying for documents or submitting applications online,” said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

In the view of the new European rules for operation effective from 2021, the adopted amendment specifies in further details the monitoring of compliance, defines sanctions and introduces option to submit some type of applications for operating licence online. It also implements procedures to create various types of zones with restrictions or special rules for drones. From 2022, all current zones will be displayed on a digital map under the state guarantee.

The amendment also implements an option to establish U-Space airspace in the Czech Republic, which shall bring more advanced level of drones operation and their integration. This will make operation of multiple drones in one area safer, which is one of prerequisites to ensure that visions such as transport of goods or persons in the future are reached.

The Parliament of the Czech Republic will now discuss the amendment. It should enter into force in mid-2021.

From 31 December 2020, new rules for operation of drones apply in the Czech Republic and the EU. It applies to the newly sold as well as previously bought devices. It applies even to aircraft models, i.e. to all unmanned aircraft. There are now three categories of drones and operators must register themselves on the Civil Aviation Authority website. They will receive a registration number and use it to mark all of their drones. More information are available here.

Information campaign advises how to purchase an electronic vignette

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 08:10:20 GMT

“The end of last year’s vignettes validity is approaching and based on people’s reaction, we see that some of them are still unsure how the new system works. We decided to launch an information campaign to give people enough information. We aim to explain the difference between the e-vignette and traditional paper vignette, to show the benefits of the new system and also to point out some difficulties people may come across when buying the e-vignette”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

Approximately 690 thousand of e-vignettes has been already sold since December last year (by 20 January). In most cases, people buy the e-vignette via an online shop edalnice.cz (560,255 purchases). 72,309 of e-vignettes were sold at post offices, 54,699 at petrol stations EuroOil and 2,466 via self-service kiosks (put into service on 1 January 2021).

Compared to last year, the sales are lower. This might be caused by the coronavirus measures forcing people to travel less and also the flexibility of the new one-year vignette. Drivers can choose the beginning of its validity. If they plan to drive out on a motorway in March, there is no need to buy the e-vignette with a validity beginning on 1 February. The ideal case is to purchase the e-vignette a couple of days ahead with a postponed validity.

Approximately 3% of buyers make a mistake in the purchase process, mostly when filling out details. People state a wrong e-mail address, a wrong licence plate number or enter a wrong payment identification number. Unfortunately, some mistakes cannot be corrected.

“If drivers buy an e-vignette with immediate validity and enter a wrong licence plate number, it is unfortunately impossible for them to correct it. We need to secure the system from potential misuse. A typical example is, that someone bought an e-vignette in the morning, used it during the day and then cancelled the payment in the evening”, pointed out Martin Opatrný, spokesperson of CENDIS who is responsible for the e-vignette system.

To be 100% sure, it is best to purchase the e-vignette via an online shop at least a couple of days ahead. Mistakes can be then corrected. When buying the e-vignette at a post office or a petrol station EuroOil, the customers must check the details immediately on the spot. Changes can be made only within the first 15 minutes after the purchase on the same branch. This is again due to security reasons.

It is better to buy vignettes in advance

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 15:26:21 GMT

The easiest and most sought way to purchase an electronic vignette is via online store www.edalnice.cz (approx. 80 % of purchases). Since last December, 308,808 persons bought their e-vignette online, mostly a one-year option (281,165). Approximately half of the purchases via e-shop are done from a smartphone, the other half from a computer.

“Every now and then, people enter a wrong plate number or e-mail address during the online purchase. If they set the beginning of validity immediately, unfortunately, it is impossible to correct potential mistakes. That is why we recommend buying the vignette at least couple of days ahead. Then the drivers can check the details and make potential changes”, advises Martin Opatrný, spokesperson of CENDIS, the responsible entity behind the e-vignette system.

What to be aware of when buying an e-vignette?

1.   The new one-year vignettes are not valid for a calendar year, but for any 365 days. So, if I do not need to buy a vignette with validity from 1 February, when the old one-year vignette expires, I can buy a new one in spring before my first ride on a motorway.

2.   Regardless the sales channel (e-shop, post offices or EuroOil petrol stations), it is best to buy the e-vignette at least couple of days ahead. By doing so, I will avoid potential issues with incorrect data.

3.   If I wish to pay via bank transfer, I cannot set a validity date of the e-vignette immediately but only 5 working days after submitting a payment order. For example, if I submit a payment order on 11 January, I can set the beginning of validity from 18 January.

4.   If I buy the e-vignette at a post office of Česká pošta or EuroOil petrol station, I must check the entered data immediately on the spot! The change is possible only within 15 minutes on the same branch; otherwise, it is impossible to make changes, since the e-vignette is valid immediately.

5.   If I buy the e-vignette via e-shop and set the beginning of its validity immediately, I cannot change the plate number. I must enter the data correctly, even the e-mail address, otherwise, I will not receive a confirmation about the payment.

Till 11 January, 373,743 e-vignettes for more than CZK 518 million were sold, out of which 43,056 on post offices of Česká pošta, 20,487 on EuroOil petrol stations and 1,392 via self-service kiosks.

Current Measures in Transport

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 15:58:38 GMT

Obligation to wear a respirator in public transport

From Thursday 25 February, all passengers in public road and railway transport must wear a respirator or a similar respiratory protection (e.g. masks from a nanomaterial). Both types of protection must comply with all technical conditions, i.e. no exhalation valve and at least 95% filtering efficiency.

Travelling to other countries

Germany
Germany placed the Czech Republic among countries with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission. Prior to arrival to Germany, travellers must make an online registration and present a negative coronavirus test. This applies also to drivers in international transport. Public road, air and rail transport is renewed from 28 March.

Registration does not apply to:

Persons who were just transiting through the high-risk country without stopping;
Persons entering Germany for a mere transit and leaving the country by the shortest route possible;
Persons who stay in the high-risk country within frontier traffic with the neighbouring state for less than 24 hours or who enter Germany for a shorter period than 24 hours;
Persons who are members of an official delegation and are returning to Germany through the government terminal on Berlin Brandenburg Airport or Cologne Bonn Airport and who stayed in the high-risk area for less than 72 hours.

We recommend following the website of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

You can find more information on the websites of the Czech Embassy in Berlin, Czech General Consulate in Dresden or Czech General Consulate in Munich (all available in Czech and German language).

Slovakia
In Slovakia, the restriction on freedom of movement was introduced. Citizens of Czech Republic, who come to Slovakia, must register on the website e-hranica, isolate themselves and present a PCR coronavirus test.

Cross-border commuters, students, artists, etc. must present a coronavirus test (not older than 7 days).

The obligation to take a coronavirus test does not apply to drivers in international transport.

You can find more information here.

Great Britain – lorry drivers

From 6 April, lorry drivers arriving to England for a stay longer than 2 days will have to undertake a coronavirus test within 48 hours upon arrival and then every subsequent 72 hours.

Poland

From Saturday 27 February, entrance to Poland will be allowed only with a negative PCR or antigen test that is not older than 48 hours. Without a test, passenger must enter into self-isolation.

Austria
As of 9 January, Austria decided to introduce border controls. Passengers travelling to Austria, which ordered a strict quarantine rules, have to state reasons for their journey. Passengers will be placed into self-isolation even if they provide a negative test on coronavirus.

Open border crossings:
Drasenhofen – Mikulov
Gmünd – České Velenice
Gmünd-Böhmzeil – České Velenice
Gmünd-Nagelberg – Halámky
Grametten – Nová Bystřice
Fratres - Slavonice
Hohenau – Břeclav
Kleinhaugsdorf – Hatě
Laa an der Thaya – Hevlín
Oberthürnau – Vratěnín
Reinthal – Poštorná
Retz – Šatov
Retz – Znojmo
Schöneben - Zadní Zvonková
Summerau – Dolní Dvořiště
Weigetschlag – Studánky
Wullowitz – Dolní Dvořiště

More information are available at the website of the Czech Embassy in Vienna.

From 26 February until 11 April, travelling to the following countries is forbidden (except where necessary): Botswana, Brazil, Eswatini, South Africa, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania (incl. Zanzibar and Pemba Island), Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Road freight transport to Germany

Given the situation on borders with Germany, the Czech Republic agreed to suspend some measures regarding driving and rest periods for drivers working in international road freight transport.

This measure is effective from 14 February 2021 until 15 March 2021. It applies to all drivers working in international road freight transport going from the Czech Republic to Germany under a condition not to jeopardize the safety of drivers and road traffic. Drivers must not drive when being tired. The employers are still responsible for health and safety of their employees and other road users.

The following provisions will be temporarily suspended for the given category of drivers:
•   Art. 6 (1): substitution of a maximum day limit for a ride from 9 to 11 hours;
•   Art. 6 (2): substitution of a maximum week limit for a ride from 56 to 60 hours;
•   Art. 8 (1): lower demands on a daily rest from 11 to 9 hours;
•   Art. 8 (6): postponed weekly rest for seven (instead of six) 24-hours time periods from an end of a preceding weekly rest.

After a derogation is applied, the driver must immediately enter a written record on a backside of a record paper stating a place of and a reason for a derogation. These records must be presented during an inspection along with relevant accompanying documents to verify the use of derogation.

Lorry drivers are excluded from mandatory registration for antigen tests

The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transport and freight transport carriers’ representatives from ČESMAD BOHEMIA prepared guidelines for exception from testing. The providers of health care, who carry out antigen testing, were asked to make an exception for freight transport drivers allowing them to immediately take an antigen test at a sampling point to identify occurrence of SARS-COV-2 virus without prior registration. This exception applies only to a person who presents a driving licence with a code “95” on the backside, a professional competence licence or a driver’s card. Slovakia adopted a similar exception for drivers. The operator of sampling point decides about the organisation arrangement. We would like to ask all drivers to respect instructions from the personnel and be considerate to the time capabilities. This exception was adopted due to an obligation to present test results after arrival to certain countries, for example Germany.

Methodological guidelines for the exception (in Czech language only)

Validity of Driving Licences

Driving licences that expired during a period from 1 September 2020 are considered valid until 31 March 2021. This can change depending on the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU legislation. However, the validity applies only on the territory of the Czech Republic. Nevertheless, we recommend not waiting with the exchange. You can book a time slot at an authority via a reservation system and exchange your licence. List of all municipal authorities with extended powers is available at our website. The EU regulation of May 2020 applies to a period before 1 September 2020.

Technical Inspection Stations

The technical inspection stations (STK) remain opened. The current government measures do not apply to STK. The EU Regulation extends validity of roadworthiness checks, which expired or would have expire between 1 September 2020 and 30 June 2021 by 10 months since the original validity date. STK stations remain open so drivers can keep their vehicles in a safe technical condition.

From 1 March, car repair shops are open under the condition that customers will not enter the shop. The entire communication with a customer must take place in the outside premises, including outdoor work place.

Driving Schools

Pursuant to government resolution, all exams in driving schools are forbidden. Other measures concerning driving schools remain unchanged, driver’s training is allowed. You can find more information here.

Pursuant to Government Resolution of 17 December, theoretical and practical training in driving schools is allowed as of Friday 18 December. The theoretical training is allowed only if the number of persons in one room does not exceed 10 persons. It is not possible to carry out exams according to Act No. 246/2000 Coll., so-called Driving Schools Act, i.e. exams of drivers or driving instructors Professional training of drivers, driving exams and other activities defined in Act No. 247/2000 Coll., so-called driving schools act, are also allowed.

The resolution of 28 January allows psychological testing pursuant to Act No. 361/2000 Coll., on road traffic and amendments to certain acts.

From Saturday, January 30, it is obligatory to wear a FFP2 or KN95 respirator without exhalation valves in the course of practical ride in a training vehicle.

The Ministry of Transport is not responsible for psychological exams in transport. It follows the government decisions adopted on the basis of proposals from the Ministry of Health.

Storing Licences in a Depository

During the state of emergency, the Czech Insurers’ Bureau and the Ministry of Transport allows to put a vehicle out of operation by submitting an electronic application to an authority. The licence can be handed in later.

Requirements for Bus Carriers Coming to the Czech Republic

As of midnight on 21 September 2020 each person, who stayed for more than 12 hours in the last 14 days in countries, which are not on a list of countries with a low risk of COVID-19 occurrence, are obliged to fill out an electronic form about arrival.
The list of countries is available on the website of the Ministry of Health.

Driving restrictions for lorries during weekends and holidays remain unchanged – the pre-coronavirus conditions still apply.

German federal ministry of transport agreed with federal states on suspending a restriction on transport of vaccines by lorries on Sundays and public holidays until 30 June 2021.

The federal ministry of transport recommends to the federal states to suspend driving restriction for lorries on Sundays and public holidays until 31 January 2021 included for the entire transport of goods. More information are available at the Ministry’s website.

České dráhy add more train connections

In last couple of days, the number of passengers travelling on some long-distance lines of České dráhy has been increasing. The current train composition capacity is not enough. In reaction to this situation, České dráhy, assisted by the Ministry of Transport, decided to reinforce these lines by additional train carriages to make travelling more comfortable.

As of 11 December 2020, the following lines will be reinforced:

Ex 1 Prague–Ostrava, up to 480 additional seats;
Ex6 Západní expres Prague–Plzeň–Cheb, up to 800 additional seats;
R16 Berounka Prague–Klatovy–Železná Ruda-Alžbětín (up to 320 additional seats, no need to transfer to a motor train in Klatovy);
R17 Vltava Prague–České Budějovice, up to 960 additional seats;
R18 Slovácký expres Prague–Olomouc–Přerov Luhačovice / Veselí nad Moravou, up to 320 additional seats;
R20 Labe Prague–Ústí nad Labem–Děčín, up to 1,440 additional seats.

Driving restrictions for lorries during weekends and holidays remained unchanged – the pre-coronavirus conditions still apply.

Traffic light system for travellers
The Czech Republic joined the European traffic light system, which indicates the level of the disease and therefore significantly changes rules for travelling abroad. The Ministry of Health is responsible for keeping the information up to date. You can find the updated information on this website.

Travelling signpost of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The signpost and updated information about travelling to all European countries is available at this website.

Road Safety: The lowest number of deaths and serious injuries on Czech roads in 2020

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 11:59:01 GMT

Lower traffic does not directly mean less serious accidents. On the contrary, empty roads tempted some drivers to speeding, which killed 4 out of 10 people in traffic accidents last year. In long run, high speed is the most frequent cause of tragic accidents.
When people stayed at home and were less inclined to use public transport, more cyclists were on the road. Unfortunately, this group is the one with increased death toll, despite an overall mitigation of road traffic in spring.

“Speeding and increased safety of cyclists and pedestrians are amongst the main focus areas of a new National Road Safety Strategy that was adopted by the government on Monday. Another priority is reducing number of accidents of young drivers, elimination of accident-prone areas and introduction of advanced technology”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The government adopted Action Plan of the National Road Safety Strategy for 2021–2022, which includes 45 specific measures, clearly defines the responsible entity and measurable criteria of fulfilling an activity.

“A program promoting placing of crash barriers, which will protect drivers from a collision with a tree, should increase safety on lower class roads. In cities, we need to protect vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists) and accommodate the transport area to their needs and safe passage. Precautionary campaigns will focus on speeding, distracted driving, increasing awareness of drugs and medicine influence on driving ability or visibility of road users”, said head of BESIP (National Road Safety) Unit of the Ministry of Transport Tomáš Neřold.

Last year, the unit run the following precautionary safety campaigns:

“Do not exceed your limit” focused on safety of motorcyclists aiming to show the constantly growing number of casualties on motorbikes. The main face of the campaign is the motorcyclist racer Lukáš Pešek.
“Aggression kills” aiming to draw attention to the issue of aggressive driving, warn about the risks caused by aggression, encourage drivers to think about their behaviour and try to change it. The project was organized in cooperation with the Czech Insurance Association and the Police of the Czech Republic.
“Don’t be under influence” focused on driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, mainly by youngest drivers up to 25 years of age. The project aims to motivate young people, who attend events with alcohol and drug consumption, to consider serious risks of driving a vehicle under the influence and protect their friends and dear ones by refusing drink- and drug-driving. The project is organized in cooperation with Drug Policy Unit of the Office of the Government.
“Our job is not war, we all need to survive” aiming to draw attention to the situation of construction and maintenance workers in closures and road narrowing. If drivers do not stick to basic rules for safe passage through closures, their lives as well as the lives of construction and maintenance workers may be in peril. The project is organized in cooperation with Road Contractors Association.

In terms of transport education, the unit carried out the following activities in 2020:

Morning and afternoon classes on children traffic playgrounds opened to general public;
Online courses for teachers of nursery schools, primary schools and educational establishments focused on transport education;
Offer of online educational materials, programs, tests etc. for remote teaching to schools and educational establishments related to transport education (dopravnivychova.cz);
5 educational videos for after school cares and educational establishments focused on working with children in a leisure time facility.

National railway infrastructure manager plans to rebuild 200 level crossings this year

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 13:48:02 GMT

“Each year, we increase financial investments, which means higher resources for necessary reconstruction of level crossings. We therefore increase the safety of railway as well as road traffic. We intend to follow this trend in the upcoming years”, said director general of Správa železnic Jiří Svoboda. The modernization of level crossings and increasing the safety had a positive effect on the number of collisions. Last year, the number of collisions dropped by 22 (to 143), which is the least since the founding of Správa železnic in 2003.

From originally planned 142 level crossings, Správa železnic managed to rebuilt 13 more last year. The safety was increased on 95 places; other 60 crossings were adjusted by adding modern technologies or by changing the surface. Most frequently (in 41 places), crossing barriers were added to the already operating warning lights to increase the safety.

This year, Správa železnic plans to rebuilt 200 level crossings for approx. CZK 2 billion, mostly to increase safety. Crossing barriers will be added to already operating warning lights on 40 level crossings. Warning lights will be installed on other 30 places currently equipped only with cross signs. Precautionary video monitoring system will be installed on 8 level crossings. In terms of safety, an important aspect will be closure of 11 level crossings. New legislative amendments, which entered into force this year, should contribute to gradual closure of these types of crossings.

Správa železnic prioritizes increasing safety of level crossings, which are considered potentially dangerous. This mainly concerns adding warning lights, crossing barriers and new technologies of barriers with LEDs.

Electronic vignettes are available also for foreigners

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 05:00:00 GMT

“Of course we keep in mind that e-vignettes must be easily accessible not only for Czech but also for foreign drivers. We adjusted the entire system as well as the communication”, explained spokesperson of the e-vignette system Martin Opatrný.

The e-shop offers the purchase in foreign languages. Information about the e-vignette system was provided in advance to foreign organisations, ministries and representative offices. The vignette system changes have been also communicated with national as well as foreign media, which received video instructions in various languages.

All information is continuously published on the e-vignette website www.edalnice.cz, which launched on 1 January 2021 in Czech and other language mutations (English, German, Polish, Hungarian and Russian.

A list of self-service kiosks is available on the eDalnice.cz website as an interactive map.

The government adopted new strategy to decrease collision death toll to half

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 15:31:02 GMT

“Last year, the number of fatal traffic collisions significantly decreased; however, we need to take into account lower traffic due to pandemic measures. This Strategy follows a detailed analysis of the main causes behind serious accidents. It is a long-term plan to increase safety on our roads not only by prevention and sanctioning, but also by investing into infrastructure and introducing new technologies”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

Action Plan 2021–2022 consists of 45 specific measures, clearly defines the responsible entity, time limit and measurable criteria of fulfilling an activity

The focus is on young drivers, speeding, elimination of places of frequent accidents, advanced technologies and efficient law and order with effective sanctions for violation of road traffic rules. By placing rail crossing barriers on 1st and some 2nd class roads, building new parking places for lorries in rest areas near motorways and inspection places of such vehicles, the safety on roads should be increased. A new program to promote placing of crash barriers protecting drivers from collisions with a tree should increase safety on lower class roads. In the cities, it is necessary to protect vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists) and accommodate the traffic area to their needs and safe passage.

After two years, the assessment of the action plan will be submitted to the government for discussion along with a draft action plan for 2023–2024. An important condition for fulfilling the Strategy is completion of a legislation process for the amendment to Road Traffic Act adopted by the government in August.
“The amendment will tighten up sanctions for dangerous offences, introduce further driving bans, simplify point system, enhance the possibility to settle the offence with a police on the spot and implement a so-called provisional driving licence for beginners”, said Mr Havlíček.

Precautionary campaign according to Action Plan

In the course of next two years, these campaigns will focus on speeding, distracted driving, right use of protection (seat belts, baby seats, safety helmets, reflective features) and on increasing awareness of drugs and medicine influence on driving ability.

Responsible ministries, Police of the Czech Republic, Road and Motorway Directorate, Association of Regions, Union of Towns and Municipalities, Czech Insurance Association, representatives of car producers and importers, Transport Research Centre and other entities cooperates on drafting the BESIP Strategy 2021–2030 and the Action Plan within the Government Council on Road Safety. The government council will continue to provide support to the Ministry of Transport in fulfilling the Strategy and drafting a follow-up action plans.

All materials (Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030, Action Plan 2021–2022 and supporting analytical documents on accident rate development) are available here (only in Czech language).

Foto: Kurzy.cz

Railway safety inspection: The year 2020 brought the least accidents in 17 years

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 12:31:46 GMT

The lowest number of emergencies in 2020 was mainly influenced by fewer tram, trolleybus, cableway and underground accidents, where the difference between the year 2019 and 2020 was 910 emergencies. The railway also experienced a decrease in emergencies last year. They dropped by 78 cases compared to 2019. The highest death toll on railways (28 people) and the most emergencies (134) were registered in July, which makes it a month with the highest number of emergencies in the last 5 years. In the long-term, last year’s number of emergencies was the lowest since 2004.

The total death toll on railways decreased by 2 (1 %) cases and the number of injuries increased by 41 (17 %) cases compared to 2019. According to the statistics provided by the Rail Safety Inspection Office, the most influencing factor in terms of death toll each year is the train - person collision (walking on a railway track, crossing rails outside level crossings). While in 2020 the number of these cases and those killed in them was almost identical to 2019, 78 % of these accidents in 2020 resulted in death.

The Rail Safety Inspection Office registered a significant decrease in the number of collisions on level crossings (by 19 %), which had a positive impact on the death toll, even though only by 9 %. Similarly, to the previous year, the most tragic month in 2020 was July with 26 collisions and 7 deaths.

For more information, see attached the emergency statistics of the Railway Safety Inspection Office (available only in the Czech language).

Transport in 2021

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 17:50:29 GMT

Record investments into transport, record SFDI budget

In 2021, we will continue to increase the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI) budget. We wish to reach a record amount of CZK 128 bn. We plan to make total investment of CZK 83 billion and CZK 44.5 billion will be spent on reconstruction and maintenance of roads and railways. The budget can be increased also in 2021.

In 2020, the SFDI budget was increased from CZK 83 billion to invested CZK 121 billion.

Motorways and roads

In 2021, we will open 46.5 km of new motorways:
•   For example, two new sections of D11 from Hradec Králové to Jaroměř;
•   D35 from Opatovice to Časy;
•   D6 bypass Lubenec or bypass Otrokovice on D55.

Ongoing construction

We are currently constructing 218.2 km of motorways and 1st class roads:

106.4 km of motorways on green fields – D11 by Hradec Králové, D3 by České Budějovice, D35 by Pardubice, D48 by Frýdek-Místek and D55 by Moravský Písek and Otrokovice;
55.1 km of modernized D1;
56.7 km of 1st class roads – Brno ring-Žabovřeská Street, crossroad Rádelský Mlýn in Liberecký region, bypass Opava, Havlíčkův Brod, Karviná or Krnov.

Modernization of D1

The modernization of D1 will be completed in autumn 2021, 55 km is remaining. The ongoing construction is taking place on 5 sections, which will be completed in October 2021. Already 110 km of D1 has been modernized, ongoing works take place on 50 kilometres. More details can be found on an interactive map of the Ministry.

Modernization of D1 – 20 sections

State	Number of sections	Kilometres
Open	15	111
In construction	5	55.1
In preparation	0	0

PPP project on D4

The selection of DIVia, consortium of companies VINCI Highways SAS, VINCI Concessions SAS and Meridiam Investments SAS, is final. In the first half of January, the government should approve the concession agreements, which will be subsequently submitted to the Chamber of Deputies for approval. The committees will discuss the agreement at the end of January or beginning of February. The agreement should be discussed by the Chamber of Deputies in February. After its approval, all parties will sign it and DIVia will begin with the construction in spring 2021.

The construction concerns 32 km of D4 motorway between Příbram and Písek, i.e. sections from Háje to Mirotice. It will be a first PPP project ever to be used in the Czech Republic in terms of infrastructure financing. The winning concessionaire will finance and maintain the motorway for 25 years.

Railways

We will continue with the first phase of a plan to make Czech railways safer by 2025/2030. A total of CZK 90 billion will be invested into ETCS and GSM-R communication standard.

Správa železnic (the national railway infrastructure manager) is prepared to work with a budget of CZK 53.074 billion in 2021, out of which CZK 21.828 billion will be spent on maintenance and reconstruction of rails/railway stations and CZK 31.246 billion on investments. The 2021 budget is increased by CZK 1.5 billion compared to 2020.

Works on the electrification of the railway from Olomouc to Uničov continue. In December 2020, the section from Olomouc to Šternberk was opened. Among the most important constructions is the launched modernization of railway route Mstětice – Praha-Vysočany. A new station, Rajská zahrada, will be opened on this railway route with an access to the underground and the station Praha-Vysočany will be renewed. The total costs will reach CZK 5.4 billion. Also, the modernization of the rail junction Pardubice costing CZK 6.35 billion will continue. A new bridge leading to the other side of the city should be constructed and the station should be accessible for persons with reduced mobility.

Also, the long awaited electrification of the railway route Brno – Zastávka u Brna for CZK 2.7 billion, the reconstruction of rail junction Přerov or the works on the 4th corridor to České Budějovice will continue.

In 2021, a total of 114 railway buildings in the Czech Republic will be reconstructed. Ongoing works are taking place for example in Fantova building on the Prague Main Station or on a building in Havířov. Also, stations in Vsetín, Cheb and Tábor will be reconstructed, as well as the Smíchov station in Prague. Works will also begin on 2 sections on railway route Prague – Kladno with a turning point towards Prague Airport, i.e. Kladno – Kladno-Ostrovec and Praha-Bubny – Praha-Výstaviště.

In 2021, the safety of 170 level crossings will be increased (adding video cameras and crossing barriers with LED diodes). We speeded up the process by 5 years; we will secure 500 most dangerous level crossings by the end of 2022 (originally planned by 2027).
More information can be found on an interactive map provided by Správa železnic.

Charging roads in the Czech Republic

From 1 January 2021, the network of charged roads will be extended by newly opened sections of D48 (Rybí – Příbor Východ in a total length of 11.53 km) and D6 (Nové Strašecí – Krušovice in a total length of 9.8 km).

A new amendment to the Act on Road Communications enters into force on 1 January 2021. It will simplify the payment of time tolls for the use of charged roads (electronic vignette) and make the subsequent control (via so-called video tolling) more efficient.
On the same day, a three-part toll structure will be introduced. It will newly include a charge for traffic and noise pollution on charged roads. It will also set new rates of time toll for vehicles powered by natural gas or bio methane.
More information are available on the e-vignette website and toll system website.

Introduction of an electronic vignette

New electronic vignettes for 2021 are available for purchase. Annual paper vignettes are valid until the end of January. A new feature allows to set a start date of validity up to 90 days ahead. The main selling point is via e-shop on www.edalnice.cz.

The price remains the same – 1-year vignette will cost CZK 1,500, 1-month vignette is for CZK 440 and 10 days vignette for CZK 310. It is also newly possible to make a bulk purchase, for example for businesses with a car fleet.

Launch of a single tariff system OneTicket

With national change of railway timetables on 13 December 2020, the passengers on Czech railway were introduced to a new tariff system OneTicket. OneTicket brings benefits to passengers using services of more railway carriers or changing carriers on their route to reach their destination. It is a single ticket, which can be used across railway carriers operating on the Czech market. In the course of the year, carriers will offer an option to use this ticket even on commercial connections between Prague and Ostrava.

Passengers can chose whether they want to buy a paper OneTicket at a ticket office or directly in the train, or to purchase an electronic version via e-shop on oneticket.cz or in a mobile app. When buying OneTicket on the e-shop or in the mobile app, the passenger will chose their route and the day of journey, enters their full name and process to payment. One of the biggest advantage is an option to register. Registered user has all of their purchases and tickets under control, whether they were done online or in an app. Passengers do not have to print electronic tickets purchased via the app, they just need to show it on their screen in the train.

OneTicket can be also used by disabled persons as a single contact point to request assistance.

New legislation for drones

A new legislation amending operation of drones entered into force on 31 December 2020. After a registration in a new registry kept by the Civil Aviation Authority, the drone operators will receive a unique identification number, which they will then use to label all of their drones. The mandatory registration will affect most persons operating drones with a weight over 250 g or a recording device regardless of its weight. In most cases, the registration can be done online without a need to report to the Civil Aviation Authority and will be free of charge.

Three basic categories of drones with different level of regulation will be introduced. The lowest, open, category will allow operating a drone without a previous authorisation from the authority regardless other restrictions and requirements, e.g. on pilots training etc. The middle, specific, category will allow operating drones for those who need to overstep some limits from the open category. The most strictly regulated, certified, category is intended for a sophisticated use in the future.

Linear Act

The amendment to act on accelerating the construction of transport, water and energy infrastructure, so-called Linear Act, enters into force on 1 January 2021. The aim is to shorten the time needed for preparation of strategic transport infrastructure by third or half, even for example from existing 13 years. The amendment aims to simplify the authorisation procedure, which often blocks early initiation of the construction. An important tool to accelerate the preparation process is the option to file and authorise the transport construction in one proceeding by the basis of less documentation and one inspection. The amendment also introduces a uniform binding opinion to construction intentions, which were subject of an environmental impact assessment. In such cases, only one binding opinion will be issued replacing all other administrative acts issued according to the act on conservation of nature and landscape thus accelerating the preparation of a construction by one year. The amendment also considers introduction of a fixed deadline to issue binding opinions. It will be set to a maximum length of 30 days, or 60 days in especially complicated cases. If the opinion is not issued in time, the amendment allows a so-called fiction of approval.

Amendment to act on operation of vehicles on roads

This amendment should enter into force on 1 July 2021. Apart from the implementation of EU legislation concerning approval of vehicles, which constitutes a core of the amended act, the adoption will allow to process actions concerning registration of road vehicles without a mandatory registration inspection by owners or operators of the vehicles if those inspections were done in a period of 2 years before filing a registration request. It will also allow to submit the request electronically (without a need to report to an authority) or in case of owner/operator change filing a joint request by individual submissions.

We wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year 2021.

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 12:30:55 GMT

Thanks to the “seating programme” the coach operators has received nearly one billion crowns

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 14:56:14 GMT

„Together with carriers’ representatives, association ČESMAD BOHEMIA and initiative Za autobusy, we were able to organise a quick support for coach transport and send nearly CZK 1 billion to save this industry. Already after two days after closing submission of applications, i.e. on 27 November, nearly all of 1,054 received applications were processed. Most applicants succeeded and they should have the money on their accounts by now”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

Support in a total amount of CZK 932.5 million was approved to 3,486 vehicles. The Ministry of Transport sent all financial resource to the recipients between 5 November and 14 December. Only a handful of applicants failed to reach the support, specifically 27 applications. These concerned carriers without a licence or their buses did not comply with the support conditions, such as emission standard.

“If the application was not successful, we have always explained the next steps and pointed out the possibility to send a new application after correction. That is the reason behind such a low number of rejected applications. Everyone, who could provide remedy, were successful after filing a new application”, explains the director of road transport department of the ministry Pavol Baran.

Through the COVID-BUS programme, the Ministry of Transport supported the entrepreneurs in irregular bus transport to help them overcome the market crisis during the pandemic. The support will help them to adjust to the market until the end of the first quarter of 2021. The amount of the support derived from the bus emission standard (higher emission standard = lower impact on the environment = higher purchase price of the bus) and took into account the capacity of the bus itself.

Foto: autobusova-doprava-Praha.cz

OneTicket: Next Phase

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 12:47:44 GMT

Overall 13 carriers operating connections in the so-called public service obligation joined the system. Carriers operating commercial connections, such as Prague-Ostrava, will join the single tariff next year.

“The biggest benefit of OneTicket is that it can be used across train carriers. It offers easy travelling. You purchase one ticket for the whole journey and do not have to worry about who operates which connection. You can purchase a single ticket, a return ticket, a line ticket for regular commuting to work or a network ticket for unlimited travelling around the Czech Republic. We have launched a live operation of the system but the developing process does not end. Next year, we plan not only adding commercial connections to OneTicket system but also introduction of other functionalities, such as a reservation system”, explains the minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

When should passengers use OneTicket

1)   If they transfer between trains of various carriers on their route. For example, a passenger travels from Brno to Opava with RegioJet express train from Brno to Ostrava-Svinov and then transfers to a following connection of České dráhy. So far, they would have need two tickets but with OneTicket they will need only one.

2)   If they regularly use a route with more carriers when travelling to work or school. For example, a passenger on a way from Plasy to Plzeň can travel with a regional connection of České dráhy as well as an express train of GW Train Regio. With a line ticket for Plasy-Plzeň, they can travel with both carriers and do not have to worry which carriers they have to take on their way home.

3)   When they travel only occasionally and do not want to deal with multiple carriers on the rail. For occasional passenger, the OneTicket will be a perfect solution representing a single ticket from starting point to the destination.

4)   When they wish to travel unlimitedly on the entire railway route. With more carriers on the rail, the possibility to use national network tickets of each carrier decreases. OneTicket is again a perfect solution. With OneTicket, passengers can travel anywhere at any time.

OneTicket is not a replacement of current tickets from each carrier. Passenger can choose what they prefer. OneTicket also protects passengers’ rights within the entire transport. In case of a long delay, they are entitled to assistance and financial compensation. OneTicket is a single contact point for all your inquiries. All carriers guarantee for the ride collectively and equally.

Which connections are now available in OneTicket

The pilot operation has already run from 14 June in two pilot areas, on routes between Plzeň and Most and between Česká Lípa and Rumburk. As of 8 December, 10,800 tickets were sold in the pilot operation. The biggest interest was registered in Česká Lípa where passengers can use passenger trains of České dráhy and express trains of Arrive simultaneously.

“The system gives people more options and freedom. You do not have to worry that you will not be accepted to a violet-colour train with a pink-colour ticket. If you miss one train, you can take a different one with the same ticket”, said Jan Paroubek, director of the state undertaking CENDIS, which develops the entire system for the Ministry of Transport. “On oneticket.cz or in the app, you can search a connection and purchase the ticket at the same time. It is very simple”, add Mr. Paroubek.

25% discount on single and return tickets

Starting from 13 December 2020, passengers can buy a ticket for regular price but also a single or return ticket with 25% discount. To do so, they will need an entry pass SJT25. The option offers 90 or 365 days ticket for CZK 236, or CZK 565. One ticket also considers discount ordered by the state for children, students, underage and seniors, while at the same time not combining the discounts with one another. Therefore, the passengers use either SJT25 or discount ordered by the state.

Help for disabled passengers

OneTicket also helps the disabled passengers. They can seek out advice or book assistance on the station or help with travelling on a wheelchair. They only need to send an e-mail to asistence@oneticket.cz in advance or call a number, which can be found on the oneticket.cz website. If it is technically possible, the control room will ensure journey from departure to destination and arrange help with all carriers that the disabled passenger need to travel with.

As of 13 December, the following carriers joined the single tariff system with public service compensation connections:

   České dráhy
   Leo Express Tenders
   RegioJet ÚK
   RegioJet
   GW Train Regio
   Arriva
   Die Länderbahn CZ
   Die Länderbahn GmbH
   Jindřichohradecké místní dráhy (JHMD)
   AŽD
   KŽC Doprava
   MBM Rail
   Railway Capital

More information at www.oneticket.cz

11.5 km of a new motorway D48 from Rybí to Rychaltice opened

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 10:55:38 GMT

“In Moravskoslezský region, the motorway D48 is an important transport artery going from west to east and connecting the southern part of this region with central Moravia on one side and Poland on the other. The new 11.5 km long section will increase traffic safety since many traffic collisions happened on this section”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček during the opening ceremony.

D48 is a part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) as well as the international road E462 from Brno via Český Těšín to Krakow (PL). The construction of D48 will continue next year with the first phase of interchange Bělotín–Rybí in the length of 13.2 km. This section should be open in 2024. In addition, two sections of Frýdek-Místek bypass should be finished by the end of 2022.

The other opened construction is Skotnice bypass on road I/58. This bypass will lead the transit transport away from the village centre thus reducing noise and emission pollution. A technical curiosity of this construction is a 150 m long cut-and-cover tunnel under Prchalov.

A total of 21 km of new motorways were opened this year, such as the D48 section or two sections on D6 motorway to Karlovy Vary. Also, 24 km of city bypasses and over 21 km of motorway D1 were finished this year. The current state of the construction is visible on an interactive map provided by the Road and Motorway Directorate.

For detailed information, see the information brochures about D48 and I/58 (available only in Czech language).

The deputies sent the Act on Rail to the next discussion round

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 15:33:54 GMT

“One of our targets concerning railway is to further enhance its safety and improve the conditions of rail transport on the European market. The draft amendment to Act on Rail will help to achieve this goal. The draft includes provisions amending a monitoring of time designated for driving a rail vehicle on national or regional rail, which will make the inspections of compliance with the rules amending the length of work shift and time designated for driving a rail vehicle in international transport more effective”, explains the minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The main goal of the amended act is to transpose the European directives, i.e. Directive (EU) 2016/797 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the interoperability of the rail system within the European Union and Directive (EU) 2016/798 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on railway safety. These directives focus on interoperability of railway in the European area and its safety. Both directives fall under the technical pillar of a fourth railway package. The aim is to set comprehensive and clear conditions for interoperability of railway system in the European Union, promote development of railway transport services in the EU and complete a single European railway area.

The draft amendment will set basic conditions and rules for operational and technical connectivity of national and regional railways as well as other Member States’ railways and rail vehicles operated on them. It defines for example new conditions for opening a rail or making rail vehicles market-ready. It also anticipates gradual transition from national rail vehicles register to central register (managed by the European Union) according to the EU law in 2024.

After the first reading, the amended act will be discussed in committees and then in a second reading. The entire legislative process should be finished by the end of the parliamentary term.

Safety commission on railway: Plan to invest CZK 90 billion to make Czech railways safer is complete.

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 15:33:54 GMT

Representatives of carriers, investors, trade unions or academia agreed on a time schedule to implement the European Time Control System (ETCS) on regional railways in category C (ca. 4,500 km) between 2021 and 2039. These can be basically divided into two groups. The first group represents regional tracks with heavy traffic and high-speed tracks that will be equipped with a full ETCS railways part (L1 or L2).

The second group consists of tracks with minimum traffic, low-speed tracks, or tracks with small development perspective, which will be equipped with simpler type of ETCS features (according to the adopted D3 Concept). “The investment in these two categories will be CZK 44 billion. The total costs to secure all tracks by 2040 will amount to CZK 90 billion”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

After today’s meeting, a complete map of Czech railways is available. This map shows the exact timing to implement ETCS on each track. The commission also adopted a time schedule to equip railways with a communication system GSM-R (2021–2040), which is an integral part of a technological development of our railways.

New rules for safer use of drones: new categories and registration from the end of 2020

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 10:12:31 GMT

“The new system is introduced mainly to increase safety and transparency in traffic. The important thing is that all EU member states will apply these rules uniformly. Operators can register or attend a training online meaning we are continuing with a gradual digitalisation of the Ministry of Transport”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

New rules for drones will apply to ca. 10,000 pilots or operators as well as drones and aircraft models themselves. The biggest change is the mandatory registration and sorting the drones into three categories – open, specific and certified. The differences are in a level of regulation and amount of requirements imposed on the drones’ operators or pilots. Registration will be available on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority on Friday 4 December at 12 p.m. To some extent, it will apply to most of the operators in the Czech Republic except those operating a device with a weight lower than 250 g and without a camera or toys for children up to 14 years of age.

According to the new rules, operation of drones will be sorted in the following categories:

Open – Basic category that allows to operate a drone even without a previous authorization from the authority regardless the amount of limits and requirements on e.g. the drone’s weight, type of flight or pilot training.
Specific – Middle category that allows, after the assessment from the Civil Aviation Authority, to operate drones, which need to overstep some limits from the open category.
Certified – The most strictly regulated category, which is intended for a sophisticated operation in the future.

More information about each category is available in an overview report on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority (available only in Czech language).

For more information, we recommend following the website www.letejtezodpovedne.cz where the Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic publishes useful information for safe use of drones.

The sale of electronic vignettes for 2021 began

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:49:27 GMT

“We launch the sale of electronic vignettes for 2021 a month ahead of time. After 25 years, it will be no longer necessary to stick anything on the windscreen. Everything can be easily done via Internet. The one-year vignette is valid for 365 days and can be purchased at any time during the year”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

Drivers can purchase the electronic vignette at www.edalnice.cz on a computer or a mobile device. To purchase the e-vignette, simply enter the state of registration, licence plate number, select the vignette type and type of fuel. The fee for vehicles powered by natural gas or bio methane is lower (CZK 750 for one-year vignette, CZK 220 for 30-days vignette and CZK 155 for 10-days vignette).

The new system also changes the validity of the existing one-year vignettes. These will be newly valid not for one calendar year, but for 365 days following the date the driver choses. The payment can be done by card or bank transfer.

“We would like to apologize for the technical problems due to the fact that we wanted to launch the system ahead of time before 1 January 2021 and I would like to thank you for your patience ”, said Mr. Havlíček.
Another advantage of the new system is that users can turn on notifications upon request. They will then receive an e-mail or SMS about the approaching end of validity of their e-vignette.

Another option, how to purchase the e-vignette, is in person at a post office. The process is practically the same, only the payment can be done by card or in cash. E-vignettes are also available for purchase on petrol stations EuroOil.

Whether you buy the e-vignette online or in person, you will receive a proof of payment with an authorisation code, which will then allow you to set a notification at edalnice.cz about the end of validity of your e-vignette even after you purchase it at a trading venue. This applies also for a self-service kiosk that will be available from January 2021 mainly at border areas or at the beginning of charged roads. These will be operated by a state enterprise CENDIS, which developed the entire system of electronic vignettes for the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure.

Even though the website was on 1 December 2020 unavailable for couple of hours, 97,411 users tried the new e-shop on the first day. In the first 12 hours we have already registered nearly 43,000 visits. On the first day (1 December 2020) people bought on the e-shop edalnice.cz 2,398 e-vignettes in the total amount of CZK 3,541,395. In most of the cases, people purchased a one-year vignette (2,333). The petrol stations EuroOil sold 137 e-vignettes and post offices 281 e-vignettes. In total, 2,861 electronic vignettes were sold on the first day.
Until the end of 2020, drivers will still use or buy paper stickers for 2020. The electronic vignettes are valid from January 2021. Most of the drivers will need the new e-vignette from February 2021 since the current one-year paper vignette for 2020 is valid until the end of January next year.

The bridge Vysočina on D1 is fully open after its widening

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 16:03:58 GMT

The bridge Vysočina by Velké Meziříčí is the main subject of modernisation roadworks on section 19 of D1 motorway. It is a girder bridge with 4 parts and a steel girder with an orthotropic bridge deck as a support, which weights ca. 6,000 tonnes. The modernisation of 5.9 kilometres long section by Velké Meziříčí costs CZK 1.58 billion and is co-financed from EU funds.

“This year, we had a record number of closures on D1 between Mirošovice and Kývalka; 7 in total. Over 110 kilometres out of a total 160 kilometres is finished. Next year, we will finish the remaining ca. 50 kilometres. All restrictions should be gone in October next year. We would like to thank all drivers for their patience”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

In 2021, last 5 sections out of 20 remain to be finished. 8 of them will be completed already in spring on section 12 by Humpolec, where the finishing works will take place for about a month in the middle stretch without any significant restrictions for drivers. In fact, next year the roadworks will take place only on 4 sections in the length of ca. 41 kilometres. The entire modernisation process will end in October 2021.

More information about the roadworks are available at www.novad1.cz or a FB profile Nová D1.

Motorway D6 to Karlovy Vary is longer by 10 kilometres. Drivers can use new Řevničov bypass.

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 15:41:19 GMT

“We now open two sections in total length of 10 kilometres; another bypass Lubenec in length of 5 kilometres will be finished next year. However, no one has to worry about it being an end. After years of postponements, the roadworks on D6 will truly begin and we expect finishing it in 2026 thanks to the new liner act”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

New sections of D6 will move the transit transport away from the municipalities’ built areas. The relief concerns especially Řevničov and Krušovice. It will significantly ameliorate living conditions of residents, reduce the risk of accidents of pedestrians and cyclists, decrease the pollutant burden and noise pollution in residential areas and improve the overall accessibility of the region making it more attractive for investors and citizens.

“Due to a continuous increase of transport intensity, the current I/6 road does no longer satisfy the needs in terms of transport safety and smoothness. Therefore, it will be entirely replaced by D6 motorway. An intensive preparation process is under its way on the remaining sections of D6. We have launched a selection procedure on construction of D6 Krupá – relocation, which will begin next year. It will be then followed by roadworks on bypass Hořesedla and Horovičky”, said the director of Road and Motorway Directorate Radek Mátl.

The current road I/6 (or D6 motorway), which is a part of the international E-road network as route E48, connects Prague with an industrial agglomeration in North-West Bohemia and spa resorts of international interest – Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, Jáchymov and Františkovy Lázně. It runs from the capital city in direction Nové Strašecí – Karlovy Vary – Sokolov – Cheb to borders with Germany.

Lorries will contribute more money to noise barriers. Toll will newly include noise and pollution charges

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 14:56:56 GMT

“These charges aim to create sufficient resources for investments in remedies reducing the negative impact of noise and air pollution on people living in the vicinity of roads. The typical example would be the construction of noise barriers around first-class roads surrounding cities and villages. We follow the example of other countries, such as Austria or Germany, which also include these externalities in toll rates”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The amount of the traffic noise charge depends on the number of axletrees and the vehicle’s weight. The amount of the air pollution charge depends on the emission standard, the vehicle’s weight and the number of axletrees. The charge is lower for higher emission standard and increases with rising weight and number of axletrees. Zero charge applies for a standard higher than EURO VI, even for vehicles over 12 tonnes regardless the number of axletrees.

The Ministry of Transport proposes the charge for noise and air pollution to be the maximum amount set by the European directive. The introduction of a three-part toll charge will lead to the increase in the projected toll revenues in 2021 to approximately CZK 1.6 billion compared to 2019. The State Fund for Transport Infrastructure plans to invest the expected total revenue, which is around CZK 12.6 billion, back in motorways and first-class roads.

Toll reduction increases from January

Apart from new charges, the draft government order introduces savings in the toll system for buses in the amount of CZK 38 million per year. The government proposes a change of limit values for calculation of toll reductions with consequent increase of toll reduction by approximately CZK 43 million, in order to minimise the impact of the toll system increase in 2021 on carriers and consumers.

If the total amount of toll for a calendar year per carrier/consumer reaches CZK 75,000, the reduction will be 5 %; for toll of CZK 110 000, the reduction will be 8 %; for a toll higher than CZK 190,000, the reduction will be 11 %; and for a toll above CZK 300 000, the reduction will be 13 %.

Moreover, the emission categories change. The emission categories EURO 0–II, EURO III and IV, EURO V, EEV, EURO VI and higher change to following emission categories EURO 0–IV, EURO V, EEV, EURO VI, and emission lower than EURO VI. These categories should better distinguish the largest group of vehicles, or more precisely vehicles with the largest share in transport performance. The total toll rates for vehicles in the emission category EURO 0 – IV will be lower compared to the current toll rates. The reason is that the vehicles with lower EURO emission categories were charged more than they should have been.

The anticipated government order on the amount of time charges, toll rates, toll reductions and the procedure for applying the toll reduction is available in the public library of pending legislation.

End of seasonal roadworks on D1. The modernisation is planned to finish during autumn 2021

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 11:24:46 GMT

“This year’s roadwork season on D1 was strenuous both for drivers, who had to deal with a record number of restrictions, and for construction companies, who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, whether in terms of government measures or loss of foreign workers. Next year, the situation will be easier”, said minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

Over 21 kilometres of the “new” D1 will be completed and fully opened this year. In mid-October, already 10 kilometres between Soutice and Loket (section 7) were put into operation. During November, the entire section 19 around Velké Meziříčí in the length of 5 kilometres and section 12 between Humpolec and Větrný Jeníkov in the length of 6 kilometres will be opened.

Less than 50 kilometres of roadworks remain for 2021, but 8 of them will be completed already in spring on section 12, where the finishing works will take place for about a month in the middle stretch without any significant restrictions for drivers. In fact, next year the roadworks will take place only on 4 sections in the length of ca. 41 kilometres.

Despite all the problems that the Ministry of Transport, the Road and Motorway Directorate and other contractors had to deal with during the strenuous season, the modernisation should be completed in October 2021. “We will push to complete at least part of the unfinished sections earlier, let’s say in September”, said Mr. Havlíček.

For more information about the ongoing works, visit www.novad1.cz or Facebook page Nová D1.

Final weeks for toll stickers. Electronic vignette is coming to sale in December at edalnice.cz

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 12:19:07 GMT

“The difference between the classic toll sticker and the electronic vignette is not only in the different sale point and the fact that it will no longer has to be stuck on a car window and then scraped off. The one-year vignette will be valid for 365 days and will be available for purchase during the year,” said Mr. Karel Havlíček, minister of transport.

Thus, the drivers do not have to buy the one-year vignette by the end of January at the last minute. The system allows buying the vignette 90 days in advance and the driver can choose its validity. They will also receive a notification of impending expiry.

The online sale of electronic vignette for 2021 will begin in about a month, i.e. on 1 December 2020 at edalnice.cz. The price for 2021 remains the same; CZK 1,500 for one-year vignette, CZK 440 for one-month vignette and CZK 310 for 10 days vignette. It will also be easier to make a large purchase for a corporate fleet.

Similarly to this year, vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen or in combination with another fuel (CO2 emissions up to 50 g/km) will be exempt from the fee. The same exemption applies to persons owning a special disability card without a need to notify this exemption.

Drivers of electric vehicles without special EL licence plate must notify the exemption via online form on edalnice.cz. The form can be then sent in an electronic form (via data mailbox or with a verified electronic signature) or in a paper form with verified signature via post or delivered personally to the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure seat.

The fee for vehicles powered by natural gas or bio methane is lower. The one-year fee is CZK 750, the one-month fee is CZK 220 and the 10 days fee is CZK 155. These vignettes will also be available at edalnice.cz.

The first toll stickers were used in the Czech Republic 25 years ago, in 1995. At that time, the toll applied to 570 kilometres out of 651 kilometres of motorways and motorway-road network. The new electronic vignette will be valid for 1,024 kilometres of tolled infrastructure.

This year’s Czech Space Week will be online. It will offer fascinating lectures and live discussions

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 10:49:30 GMT

Space technologies influence and control our lives more than we often realise. The satellite technology allows us to withdraw money from ATMs, use navigation devices or communicate with people on the other side of the world. Along with the increase of the space industry and science potential, grows also the role of the Czech Republic in the world. The Czech Space Week festival aims to inform the public about the Czech achievements in space as well as explain the importance and contributions of the space industry to our country. For the first time, this year’s festival will take place online.

“Even in this form, we still stick to our main goal with which we and the Ministry of Transport started this festival three years ago. We wish to inform the public about the contributions of space activities to our country and show that the investments in this industry can return to the Czech Republic,” said Tereza Kubicová from Czechinvest, who is also chair of the ESA BIC Prague Steering Committee.

Space enthusiasts, companies and research institutions can look forward to interesting lectures, panel discussions and virtual meetings. Traditional Czech Cosmic Industry Week and a conference to celebrate 5 years from establishment of the space incubator ESA BIC Prague will take place in spring.

Space industry opens new door for the Czech Republic

“The Czech Republic is a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2008 and more than 60 Czech companies have already participated in its programmes. The membership in ESA allowed us to develop unique technologies, attract foreign investments and convince foreign companies to broaden their production in the Czech Republic,” said Václav Kobera, director of ITS and Space Activities Department of the Ministry of Transport.

In more than 4 years, the business incubator ESA BIC, which also operates in the Czech Republic, has helped 29 progressive start-ups, which use space technologies or systems in their commercial products or services. However, more companies could benefit from such support, but many of them are not aware of the possibilities and business potential in this industry. Sectors such as energy, nanotechnology, automotive or engineering can find their place in the space industry.

This will also be the topic of many panel discussions during the Czech Space Week. The audience can look forward to discussions about cooperation of companies and scientist in space activities or about satellites and their benefit to the planet Earth. Mutual communication of companies will take place via Czech-British Industry Day, which will give the companies and research institutions from both countries the opportunity to extend cooperation in space field. The Gate2Space block will bring the companies information about the possibilities to enter in the ESA programmes.

The Czech companies can proudly present their participation on the international missions such as HERA, PLATO, Solar Orbiter or LISA. The scientists from the Czech Academy of Sciences (Jiří Svoboda, Ivana Kolmaová, Petr Brož and others) will present these achievements.

The festival will offer programme for students and children

Even though the labour demand of foreign space companies in the Czech Republic grows, there is still lack of qualified posts. The Czech Space Weeks aims to change this and to attract the students currently deciding which university, field or speciality to study. The organisers prepared panel discussion for them with young people working in research, founders of start-ups, interns from ESA or working for Czech space companies.

The organisers also prepared an event Space for Women to show that also women can work in the space industry. Women scientists working in the Czech Republic, abroad and even in ESA will share their experience. “We want to open door for women and show them the enormous impact the space technologies have on other fields, such as marketing or law,” said Ms. Kubicová.

The organisers aim also on children and prepared special programme for them. The children can explore the secrets and mysteries of the universe through fun and interactive activities. They can learn about our solar system and the principles of programming microcomputers on the International Space Station. They can also learn about exoplanets and comets.

Please, find more information at www.czechspaceweek.com/en/

The COVID-BUS programme was launched, bus companies can register until 26 October

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:39:45 GMT

"Bus operators have seen their sales plummet to almost zero, because all events were cancelled. The COVID-BUS programme will enable entrepreneurs in irregular bus transport bridge this crisis or, in the worst case, terminate their business but with less consequences for the labour market and their private lives," says the transport minister Karel Havlíček.

Find details on you digital filing here, the deadline is 26 October: https://www.mdcr.cz/Covidbus.

The call will be opened on October 26 and ends after 30 days since the first application acceptance day, i.e. 25 November 2020. You can only make your filing in digital format.

The amount of support will depend on the emission class of the bus: the higher the emissions, the smaller the environmental impact and the higher the purchase price of the bus. The bus capacity will be also taken in account. As the market has actually frozen until the end of the school year, the support period is calculated from 12 March until 30 June 2020.

Per-seat contribution based on the EURO emission class of the bus	Subsidy per seat and day
EURO II	15 Kč
EURO III	28 Kč
EURO IV	40 Kč
EURO V	62 Kč
EURO VI	135 Kč

The Ministry of Transport expects that CZK 1 billion will be provided in 2020. Of this, CZK 0.5 million shall be moved from the budget of the Ministry of Transport and CZK 0.5 billion comes from the "COVIC Rent" programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and its funds that have not been claimed. The support will be evaluated and paid out during the 4th quarter of 2020.

Most businesses operate 1-3 buses (or more in exceptional cases) that are usually leased. Furthermore, this sector is a low-margin industry. These factors combined mean that loans for entrepreneurs in irregular bus transport are extremely complicated and often tied to owner's private assets. This means that it is hard for the entrepreneurs to draw down funds from the Covid programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

All information you need for your filing is published at the website of the Ministry of Transport.

Validity of driving licences is extended during the state of emergency

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 14:39:20 GMT

“Provided that the validity of licences (driving licence, driver‘s qualification card) has expired during the state of emergency, these licences are considered valid. The licences’ holders should not be sanctioned in a proceeding for an activity conducted with a licence, which expired during the state of emergency”, states the ministry’s methodology opinion submitted to the municipal authorities with extended powers and regional authorities.

This measure is valid only during the state of emergency and on the territory of the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Transport negotiates with the European Commission on a proposal to extend the validity of expired driving licences until 31 March 2021.

The authorities should make use of reservation systems

Last week, the Ministry of the Interior reminded the 206 municipalities with extended powers and regional authorities they do not have to restrict their office hours should it jeopardise the authority’s work or unreasonably limit the rights of public.

Each authority may decide which measures to adopt, e.g. use of reservation systems to limit queues and comply with the hygienic conditions (especially keeping distance) related to the precautionary measures during the pandemic.

Information about the exchange of driving licences

If your driving licence has expired, you do not have to exchange it for journeys in the Czech Republic.
If you need a new driving licence, please, use the authorities’ reservation systems.
You can request an exchange of your driving licence up to 3 months ahead.
You can request an exchange of your driving licence in any municipality with extended powers. You can find a map on the ministry’s website.
You can get information about the end of your licence’s validity via Citizen Portal.
To exchange your licence, you need to bring a valid ID card and the current driving licence. When submitting an application, you do not need to submit a photo. The photo will be taken on the spot or the officer will download your current photo from registers maintained by the Ministry of the Interior.
If a driver requests issuance of a licence within 5 working days, the exchange will cost CZK 700. Regular exchange is free of charge. The legal deadline is within 20 days. The licence is usually ready within 14 days.

A total of CZK 128 billion shall be invested in transport infrastructure in 2021

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 16:06:09 GMT

"The draft budget was increased from CZK 83.2 billion in 2020 to a record amount of CZK 127.5 billion for 2021. This means that we count on record spending on the construction of more than one hundred km of motorways and dozens of km of town bypasses, the completion of the D1 motorway reconstruction, construction and adjustments of railway hubs and corridors and continued repairs of dozens of station buildings. And we will also contribute to regional category II and III roads," says the transport minister Karel Havlíček.

A total of CZK 83 billion was allocated for investment in transport and CZK 44.5 billion is ready for non-investment spending such as repair and maintenance of transport infrastructure. The budget can be increased if even more spending is needed, e.g. to accelerate some projects.

Next Generation EU was also incorporated into the budget to cover, among other things, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The Ministry of Transport and the National Fund for Transport Infrastructure count on spending CZK 15 billion in transport infrastructure next year.

The following infrastructure is currently under construction: 259.7 km of motorways and category I and roads, of which 127.7 km are motorways built on a green field (D11 Hradec Králové – Jaroměř, D35 Opatovice – Ostrov, D55 Otrokovice bypass and higher capacity of D7 Panenský Týnec bypass), 71 km of D1 motorway modernisation and 61 km of category I roads. Construction will continue in 2021 with the same speed. Construction work is under way on dozens of km of railway lines, 60 station buildings are undergoing a reconstruction and another 50 are waiting for reconstruction. In 2021 another 170 railway crossing will become safer.

Czech Railways will reduce operation on some long-distance and regional lines from 19 October

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 09:04:20 GMT

Restrictions of long-distance connections

Long-distance travel will be reduced on some lines as follows:

From Prague to Hradec Králové
From Prague to Děčín
From Prague to Brno
From Prague to České Budějovice
From Kolín to Ústí nad Labem
From České Budějovice to Brno
From Ostrava to Čadca

You can check the restrictions at https://www.cd.cz/info/aktuality/-34450/

České dráhy also kindly asks their passengers to buy they tickets online as much as they can (in the e-shop or the Můj vlak app) or pay with their cards if buying at a physical counter.

Restrictions of regional connections

Given the lower number of passengers due to the current lockdown, some regional trains operated by ČD will be restricted in coordination with regional authorities as well. The restrictions will start at this weekend and/or from next week and apply to the capital Prague, the Central Bohemian region, the Pardubice region, the Hradec Králové region, the Moravian-Silesian region and the Vysočina region. Most restrictions will apply to trains operated in the most off-peak hours, the so-called "school trains" and recreational connections. Connections for commuters will be however maintained. The measures will be in place until further notice and, depending on the state of the epidemic, can see further adjustments. You will find information on regional connections here.

České dráhy takes more measures to fight the covid-19 epidemic

České dráhy performs more cleaning and disinfection of their trains. Special attention is paid to cleaning all parts of the equipment which passengers touch (handles, bars, push buttons, etc.). The cleaning is even done several times per day. When a train is parked, ČD disinfects it with ozone that kills viruses and bacteria. The A/C system is also cleaned in this way. Vehicles waiting for maintenance are also cleaned with disinfection agents.

Based on a special measure of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic announced against the spread of the covid-19 virus, all passengers must protect their breathing system in all trains and other public transportation vehicles starting on September 1st. This means that the use of a respirator, face mask, cloth, scarf or other means preventing the spread of aerosols) is compulsory. We kindly ask all passengers to respect this measure and so protect not only themselves but also other passengers and out staff. Thank you.

Czech businesses can reach funds for their own space project

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 14:50:12 GMT

"Czech companies have established themselves as equipment contractors for foreign space missions. The next logical step is to build capacities for the development of entire space missions. They are more costly but also bring significantly higher added value and return on investment," says the head of ITS and Space Activities of the Ministry of Transport Václav Kobera.

Unlike with recent projects, these so-called Ambitious ESA projects aim at independent space flights by Czech stakeholders, either as independent missions or a significant autonomous element of a bigger international missions. The thing is that the Czech Republic has been only involved in missions organised and operated from abroad (except for small experimental cubesat-type nano-satellites). But now, the call for proposal of the European Space Agency targets Czech businesses as well as academic stakeholders with the aim of bringing together their know-how in the Czech space industry. Dozens of tech companies will take part in the project, because this will help them overcome the current economic situation and impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. A number of these businesses work in the aviation industry which has suffered a heavy blow this year.

Foto: esa.int

The government has not decided whether the corridor shall be built. The EIA will now be prepared.

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 11:40:05 GMT

Preparations in this section for the investment shall by no means be construed as a decision on construction commencement of this water corridor as such. There are several variants for navigation foreseen on Odra to Ostrava still to be discussed. It is a matter of fact that such a project must go through the EIA and public discussions with affected municipalities and the region prior to possible construction.

Besides this, the government took the feasibility study into account and authorised the transport minister with the preparation of EIA inputs as well as inputs for the impact assessment on Natura 2000. This shall open, among other things, a public and professional discussion based on sufficient data, which is also expected from the government in the statement. Before these assessments, it would be very premature to say that the project should have a negative environmental impact. The results of this assessment should be provided to the government in 2023, so any next steps are possible only then.

We must remember in this context that DOL construction plans are very old and the expected corridor has been defended in regional development plans on all levels since 1970s. The Czech government has repeatedly confirmed its intention in government decisions in 1996, 2006, 2011 and 2013 when the minister of transport was repeatedly instructed to continue with the due diligence of this navigation corridor. But none of that was actually ever done.

The land provision for this DOL route that is almost 500 km long has been restricting the regional development of many municipalities along the road for 50 year now! This includes many towns along river Morava. To allow the government to do an objective assessment of the possible construction of the Danube-Odra-Labe water corridor, the Ministry of Transport assigned in 2016 a feasibility study to check the economic effectiveness of the project in terms of transportation, water management, energy and recreational functions.

All benefits and risks will be very sensitively assessed before any decision is made in this respect – in terms of European and national legislation and environmental requirements. And should the project move on, then only provided the final proposal will be environmentally friendly to the maximum possible degree and bring benefits not only to transportation, logistics and renewable energy sectors, but also encourage tourism and improve the water management during floods and droughts.

Preparations for navigation on the Odra river to Ostrava can start

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 09:09:17 GMT

"According to the feasibility study of the DOL corridor, we shall primarily focus on the Danube-Oder branch which appears to bring most economic benefits. What we expect from navigation on Oder is environmentally friendly and competitive transport. Industry and logistics in the five-million Silesian agglomeration will have better access to European and world markets. Recreation and tourism are two more functions of the channel," says the transport minister Karel Havlíček. The investor will pay most attention to section Ostrava-Svinov – state border CZ/PL and continuation to the Polish Koźle. The national priority in transportation and restructuring of the Moravian-Silesian region was taken into account. The government also approved the time schedule, according to which navigation to Ostrava should start until 2031.

The government also assigned the preparation of SEA inputs for the Danube-Oder-Labe project.

To ensure that the entire project can be objectively evaluated from all perspectives, the Labe branch corridor will be further followed and the so-called land provision for this branch will not be cancelled. The route recommended in the feasibility study should have much less impact on the local zone planning of the municipalities affected.

The government requires that the transport minister starts negotiations on the EU level about adding the project to the TEN-T network in the Danube-Odra variant at the first occasion i.

The cross-border reach of the project

Collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international negotiations with Slovakia will also continue, because Slovakia and Poland are members of the international work group. Besides Poland and Slovakia, also Hungary and even the Balkan countries lying on Danube, i.e. Croatia and Serbia, showed interest in the development of Central European waterways.

The Danube-Oder-Labe corridor is also subject of negotiation in the so-called "Three Seas" strategic initiative, constituted by 12 member states lying between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas.

Motorway preparation will be faster, the MPs passed a bill to accelerate infrastructure projects

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:21:35 GMT

"By passing this bill, we take the path of accelerating the construction of transportation network without unnecessary speculations regarding the acquisition price and all the possible delays, as we know them. According to this amendment, the land for strategic projects is going to be either acquired or expropriated anyway. And the bill guarantees that nobody will be cheated, not even a bit," says the transport minister Karel Havlíček.

The possibility of obtaining the planning permit and building permit for a piece of transportation infrastructure in the same proceedings based on a design that is less detailed and requires only one review is the major improvement and tool for acceleration. The amendment also introduces the so-called Uniform Binding Statement for projects where the EIA was performed. In these instances, a single binding statement will be issued to replace all administration deeds issued under the nature and landscape protection act, which can – when compared with the current situation – save up to one year in preparation. The bill also introduces a fixed period for binding statements since application. This period is 30 days and/or 60 days in highly sophisticated cases. So-called "consent fictions" are foreseen if these periods are not met.
The Polish construction method
The principles of the so-called Polish construction method were added to the draft bill. They will allow the investor to obtain the ownership title also to property not acquired through an agreement with the owner prior to the commencement of the building proceedings or combined planning and building proceedings. "The Polish model make it possible for builders to apply for the building permit or joint planning and building permit including the expropriation request for the remaining properties. The building department will then decide about the expropriation in a separate decision as part of the building permit proceedings and/or combined planning and building permit proceedings. It is possible to obtain the building permit without proven ownership titles to certain properties already today, but construction can start only on the land owned by the investor. This so-called Polish model can help accelerate the expropriation of many last problematic properties needed for a specific construction project by merging them into single proceedings," says the initiators of the proposal and chairman of the transportation sub-committee Martin Kolovratník.

The amendment shall accelerate the expropriation of land

The Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry for Regional Development also propose in their expropriation draft bill that specific periods be defined for the granting of the expropriation decision regarding specific land which the investor needs for its construction. The authorities will have 60 days since the start of the expropriation proceedings for calling up a meeting with the land owners affected, followed by a 30-day period for issuing the expropriation decision.

"The current act does not set any period that would be sufficient. And it does not make enough pressure on the expropriation authority to act without undue delays. But now, with the fixed period, the authority shall be positively motivated to issue the decisions within periods that are both reasonable and realistic," says the ministry in its rationale. While the administration code foresees maximum 60 days since the start of the proceedings, this period cannot be objectively met in the expropriation proceedings, which is why longer and more realistic periods are now proposed.

The Ministry for Regional Development and Ministry of Industry and Trade further propose an extension to the interim decision institute also to water and power infrastructure.

The bill also governs in detail the cancellation of railway crossings that are no longer needed and sets specific criteria when these crossings can be removed. This will make railway modernisation and use more efficient and reduce accidents at railway crossings.

In the transportation sector, 253.8 km of new motorways and category I roads are currently under construction, of which motorways on a green field make 127.7 km, the D1 modernisation 71.0 km and category I roads 55.1 km. Motorways where construction is most advanced are the D2 modernisation and construction of the D35 Pardubice, D11 Hradec Králové and D3 South Bohemian motorways.

You can find more details on the different projects on our interactive map.

The main tools of the Line Act for transportation infrastructure acceleration are:

Granting the planning permit and building permit in the same proceedings with one review – reduction by up to three years
Introduction of the Uniform Binding Statement for projects where EIA was performed – reduction up to one year
Introduction of fixed periods for the issuance of binding statements of competent authorities during the planning and building proceedings – maximum 30 days, or 60 days in special instances
One Expert Opinion on the land value for several properties valid for three years
Specific periods for expropriation authorities; an oral meeting must take place within 60 days since the start of the proceedings and the authority must decide within 30 days since the oral proceedings.

New obligations for bus carriers in international transport

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 08:25:20 GMT

All persons who during the past 14 days stayed at least 12 hours on the territory of countries, which are not standing on the list of countries with low risk of infection, have to fill out an electronic incoming form.

The list of countries with low risk of infection you can find here

Foto: MANORIGINAL.CZ

OneTicket is available in the app or the e-shop, it is being tested in the Pilsen and Č. Lípa regions

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:24:55 GMT

"The passenger will buy the ticket and can use it with any transportation company. The ticket will not be tied to any specific operator. OneTicket can be use in all trains and for any combination. On top of that, passengers will get a 25% discount or return tickets with a special price. All this can be now tested in the Pilsen and Česká Lípa regions, but from the middle of December the solution will work on all lines," says the transport minister Karel Havlíček.

OneTicket is now valid only on lines Pilsen – Most and Česká Lípa – Rumburk. Passengers can now choose to buy a printed OneTicket at the counters of the operators or directly in the train and/or buy an electronic ticket at oneticket.cz. Or they can download an app for mobile phones with Android and iOS operating systems.

"Since the start of the pilot operation in June 2020, over 6000 passengers have purchased OneTicket and transportation companies received over CZK 300 000 for their service. The aim of the pilot operation is to check the correct functionalities of our ticket sales where we are now adding new features but also tickets in the train and the billing of sales for transportation companies," explains Jan Paroubek, the CEO of the state enterprise CENDIS responsible for project implementation and operation.

Buying OneTicket is extremely easy and intuitive. The passenger chooses the route and day of travel and enters his/her name and last name and makes a digital payment. A user registration option is a big benefit. If registered, the user can see all his/her tickets purchased through the web-based app or mobile phone app. The data between the web store and app are of course synchronised. The passengers does not have to print the ticket, because the ticket is checked in the app in the train.

This single ticket and single tariff system allows the user to buy a single ticket and use it in any train operated by any railway company. The actual travel distance is then billed to the transportation companies. The system will be launched together with the new schedule in the middle of December 2020. The apps are available in Google Play and the AppStore.

All information on OneTicket can be also found at www.oneticket.cz.

Two renowned consortia submitted tenders for the PPP D4 Project

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 13:06:32 GMT

The bids were submitted by two tender participants who successfully demonstrated their qualifications in the first round of the tender and subsequently completed four rounds of a competitive dialogue. Both participants comprise renowned companies with considerable experience from similar projects from around the world. The key evaluation criterion of the competition is the so-called net present value of payments for the availability of new sections of the highway in the length of 32 km and existing sections in the length of 16 km. These costs will be paid by the state continuously during the operation of the highway over the period of 25 years.

"We are very close, and if all goes well, this will be a historic breakthrough in infrastructure financing in the Czech Republic. The successful implementation of the PPP project for the D4 highway will become a milestone for the further use of the PPP model for the construction and operation of transport and other necessary infrastructure", says Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček, adding: "In contrast to the traditional model of public tenders, the Concessionaire will assume a significant proportion of the risk associated with the preparation of the implementation documents and the handling of changes which may become necessary in the course of the construction process, and most of the risk associated with the condition of the land on which the construction will be built. Another advantage is the spread of the total cost of construction and of the operating expenditure over a longer period of time."

Velký průlom. Chybějící 32 km dlouhý úsek D4 z Příbrami do Písku se začne stavět v březnu 2021. Ministerstvo dopravy dnes obdrželo finální nabídky na pilotní PPP projekt. Nabídky podala dvě konsorcia, která prokázala kvalifikaci a následně absolvovala 4 kola soutěžního dialogu.
— Karel Havlíček (@KarelHavlicek_) September 17, 2020

The participants’ bids propose a total price (i.e. the net present value of the proposed availability payments) in the following amounts:

DIVia Consortium (consisting of VINCI Highways SAS, VINCI Concessions SAS and Meridiam Investments SAS): CZK 16,554,520,243,
Consortium Via 4 - Southern Connection (consisting of PORR Beteiligungen und Management GmbH, Macquarie Corporate Holdings Pty Limited (UK Branch), Obrascon Huarte Lain, S.A., Egis Projects S.A. and SK Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd.): CZK 18,283,543,000

Aside from the price, the bids will also be evaluated on the strength of two qualitative parameters of the highway at the time at which it will be returned to the state (whereas a value in excess of the required minimum quality is evaluated positively). The public authority will now proceed to the evaluation and assessment of tenders so that a concession agreement can be concluded with the selected supplier after approval.

For the winning price, the winning consortium (hereinafter referred to as the Concessionaire) will not only build the new sections, but also partially refurbish and retrofit existing sections with modern highway technology which will ensure public oversight over the quality of services provided by the Concessionaire. The Concessionaire will also build a new operation and maintenance center near the I / 19 crossing. The Concessionaire will also manage the entire project using the BIM model and a common data environment. The Concessionaire will operate and maintain all sections in a fully functional condition for a period of 25 years. The Concessionaire will be motivated to comply with the quality requirements as stipulated in the agreement because violations will be fined by deductions from the monthly availability payments. Deductions will also be made if driving in individual lanes is restricted. The Concessionaire will be bound by the concession agreement, and upon termination of the agreement, the Concessionaire will be obliged to return the highway to the public authority in a quality approaching a newly built road.

The newly built sections of the highway will be owned by the state, but the state will not participate in financing their construction. The same applies to the modernized sections. The state will start paying the Concessionaire only after the highway (or parts thereof) have been handed over for operation in the contractually defined quality. Payments in the form of availability payments are tied to the fact that the highway will be available to its users in the contractually defined quality throughout the entire period of operation. In the event of non-compliance with this quality standard, a corresponding part of the availability payment to the Concessionaire will be deducted as a contractual penalty.

Construction work may be expected to start at the beginning of 2021. The signing of the agreement will depend on the approval of the Czech government and the Chamber of Deputies in accordance with the Czech Roads Act.

DB Netz and Správa železnic announce a tender for project management for a new rail line Prague – Dresden

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 14:32:14 GMT

This public procurement is assigned based on the Cooperation Agreement in project preparation for the planning and construction of a new rail line Dresden – Prague, singed in 2019 by the Správa železnic, státní organizace, DB Netz AG and DB Energie GmbH. DB Netz AG is doing project administration. The tender documentation is published in the public procurements bulletin.

The deliverables involve three areas where the Czech and German project management and assignments of associated public procurements will be combined. The procurement subject is the management and coordination of these activities, all contractors of the different jobs and support of the investor during the preliminary planning phase, involving also the preparation of documents for associated procurements across all project parts.

Potential contractors could make themselves familiar with the German way of public procurements at the beginning of 2020 in Prague at a Meet the Buyer meeting. The meeting was attended by more than 70 potential bidders from many different European countries, which is evidence that the preparation of this project is a matter of a European reach.

The new railway connection between Prague and Dresden will improve the offer of regional passenger transport thanks to significantly shorter travel times, shift a portion of freight traffic from the road to the rail and connect the Czech Republic with the west-European high-speed rail network.

A new device, made by Czech companies, for launching satellites to orbit is on its way to space

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 13:48:49 GMT

_{"The new dispenser is great success for the Czech space industry and has a huge commercial potential. More dispensers will be made in the Czech Republic in the coming years and used all over the world for launching satellites," says the minister of transport Karel Havlíček.

The dispenser weights 252 kilogram and carries another 756 kilogram, i.e. three times its weight. After the first flight on Sunday with 53 satellites to be launched, another flight will follow on the reinforced version of the Vega-C launch vehicle with a capacity that is 800 km higher. The dispenser is ready for this and will carry six times its weight. The dispenser design is so flexible that it can carry different combinations of smaller and bigger satellites, which no competitor is Europe can do.

The dispenser is the most valuable Czech component launched into space since the Czech Republic's accession to ESA in 2008. The Brno-based company SAB Aerospace was the main contractor and the total cost was EUR 8 million.

Interesting is the fact that the majority of satellites are installed already in Europe and then transported to the European Kourou spaceport in the French Guyana. Until now, satellite manufacturers had to travel to South America because of this. This is therefore a significant cost saving, which makes this Czech dispenser even more attractive for launching satellites.

Demand for small satellites has been quickly growing and the European Space Agency decided to build a Europe-based service to satisfy this demand. The aim of this service is to shorten the waiting time for a suitable launch vehicle for those satellite manufacturers and operators who operate systems that are so small that it makes no financial sense for them to purchase the entire launch vehicle for them and for those who do not want to wait too long for the opportunity when a competitor/partner pops up to "take a ride" with them.

Following the launch in February of the Solar Orbiter probe with the biggest involvement of Czech science centres in the preparation of the space probe since the Czech Republic joined ESA, the upcoming launch is evidence of even more success.

You will find information about the launch on the ESA website.

Photo: ESA

The satellite launch system in clean rooms on the Kourou spaceport before connecting to the Vega rocket. Spaceport workers during the final phase of satellite installation on the devices and testing.}

Velký úspěch českého kosmického průmyslu.🇨🇿🚀Unikátní SSMS dispenser vyrobený v Brně úspěšně vypustil 53 družic na oběžnou dráhu Země. V dalších letech bude dispenser opakovaně vyráběn v ČR a používán pro vypouštění družic z celého světa. #countryforthefuture https://t.co/JFK0ZaXZs1
— Ministerstvo dopravy (@min_dopravy) September 3, 2020

ŘSD launched the national-wide 2020 traffic counting

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 10:25:36 GMT

The nation-wide traffic counting on the motorway and road network takes place every five years. The spring part of data collection usually starts in the middle of April and ends on 30 June. Following an agreement with the contractor – a consortium of companies headed by Centrum dopravního výzkumu v. v. i. Brno, shifted the spring part to the same period of next year to the the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of May it was obvious from the data that traffic is slowly getting back to the state before the lockdown, so a decision was made that the summer holiday and autumn part of the 2020 traffic counting would take this year still. The counting started on Sunday, July 12. It will last until the end of October.

Table of counting sections on different road categories:

kategorie komunikace	počet SÚ
dálnice I. třídy	40
dálnice II. třídy	90
silnice I. třídy	1 815
silnice II. třídy	3 150
silnice III. třídy	1 370
celkem	6 465

The mobility package will level off the conditions for road traffic in the EU

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 12:56:38 GMT

On July 9 the European Parliament passed an extensive reform package for road traffic in the European Union, known as the mobility package. The new rules will regulate access to the market for trucks, conditions for sending out employees in road transport and improve the conditions of drivers. Its aim is also to push through – in a more efficient way – rules that make traffic safer.

Having integrated contributions also of the Czech Republic, the package is actually a compromise. It was (together with such countries as Finland or Ireland) part of the so-called "Middle Group" that was standing between two different camps. On one hand, there were protectionist west European countries with high cost of drivers' wages that are protecting their national markers with restrictive legal measures (Loi Macron, MiLoG). The second camp were Central and South-Eastern countries where driver's wages are very low indeed. And west European transport businesses are often setting up the so-called "shell companies" only to exploit the low wages in there. The new rules will now bring a balance for these two groups and prevent unfair competition.

What can be seen as the greatest success of the Czech Republic and its allies are changed to the drive regulations, the so-called "rounds". So how do they work? The drives loads goods in the Czech Republic and takes it to, say, Spain. Then, on the way back he/she does two different shipments. And this is the most frequent business model of Czech transport businesses. According to the new rules, the businesses must pay to the driver the minimum wage of the country they are passing. This obligation is not part of the package for bilateral transportation (e.g. Czech Republic – Germany – Czech Republic).

The most disputable thing in the package was – in the eyes of its opponents – the compulsory return of the vehicle to the state where the transport company is settled, which shall happen every 8 weeks. As this contradicts the environmental policy of the EU, the European Commission committed to prepare a study about this.

The European Commission proposed the mobility package already in May 2017. The EU Council issued a statement on the package in February 2020 and the European Parliament has now also identified itself with it.
The package consists of two reviewed regulations and one directive. The regulations will enter into force 20 days after their publishing in the EU bulletin and the directive one day after its publishing. The member states then have 18 months for implementing them into their national legislation. They could be published in 4-8 weeks.

Three years since the launch of the Czech satellite VZLUSAT-1 to orbit – the satellite is still delivering data

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 15:53:05 GMT

The satellite was launched on the Indian PSLV rocket (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) from the Šríharikota spaceport and was installed on the polar orbit at a height of 505 km. Due to the friction of residual atmosphere, its height has already decreased by about 10 km during the three years since the launch to orbit. It was launched as part of international mission QB50 along with other CubeSats from different countries.

The VZLUSAT-1 satellite was launched to orbit on 23 June 2017. It is a CubeSat satellite (very small satellites with standardised dimensions – a cube with a side of 10 cm is their base frame) of size 2U (i.e. 10x10x20 cm) and a weight of 2 kg, developed and produced by a consortium of nine businesses and academic sites under the management of the Research and Testing Institute in Prague.

The Research and Testing Institute in Prague is already preparing VZLUSAT-2, the successor of VZLUSAT-1, that shall be launched by the end of this year on the Falcon 9 shuttle of SpaceX from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

VZLUSAT-1 also carries several scientific devices that send measurement data down to Earth where a Pilsen-based terrestrial station is receiving them. They involve a miniature X-ray magnifier glass, testing of materials for space radiation shielding and a device for measuring oxygen concentration in the atmosphere.

The satellite is orbiting the Earth at about 495 km and is primarily used as the so-called technological demonstrator. It is therefore checking how materials, components and other systems can handle the hostile environment outside the Earth's atmosphere. The average service life of CubeSats is 1.1 years. But the three years during which VZLUSAT-1 has been in service in orbit demonstrate that Czech technologies are now well tested in space.

Czech products in space

Even though Czech satellites have so far been rather rare, we can now find more and more of them in space. It is primarily thanks to our membership in the European Space Agency ESA why advanced materials, electronic, mechanical and optical components, scientific devices, aviation software and other products from the Czech Republic are now finding use in space. And the Czech space industry is active on Earth as well – it runs simulations and provides testing and equipment for terrestrial stations and satellite data processing.

Find more information on the VZLUSAT-1 satellite and data for signal reception from satellites for radio-amateurs at www.vzlusat1.cz.

The traditional connection "Vindobona" between Berlin – Prague – Vienna is back

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 11:14:00 GMT

"We managed to negotiate with our partners from ÖBB in Austria and DB in Germany the restoration of the traditional direct connection between our capitals The role of České dráhy was to obtain the train for this route. And the train is a Railjet which goes about 1 000 km and offers a convenient and fast travel to passengers. The train makes it from Vienna to Berlin in about 8.5 hours and offers a direct connection without the need for changing. So if you are for instance going from Brno to Berlin, you will be there in seven hours and 15 minutes. If going from Ústí nad Labem to Vienna, it will take 5.5 hours.", says České dráhy CEO Václav Nebeský and adds: "Our seven Railjet trains will now operate not only in Austria and Slovakia, but also Germany. Our decision to purchase up to 20 more trains for long-distance passenger transport is another logical step on our way to fast and convenient railway connection between Prague and other big European cities."

The old-new Vindobona train makes it first ride from Berlin to Graz on Tuesday 16 June. Leaving Berlin at 6:17, it offers the first morning connection from Berlin to Prague, Vienna and Graz. The train arrives at 10:31 in Prague, 14:49 in Vienna and 17:33 in Graz. It will also be the last connection in the evening in the opposite direction. The train leaves Graz at 10:26, Vienna at 13:10, the Prague main railway station at 17:32 and arrives in the Berlin main railway station at 21:54.

The train will offer a fast and convenient ride without changing from Brno to Dresden (5 hours 15 minutes) and Berlin (7 hours 15 minutes) or from Ústí nad Labem to Brno or Austria (4 hours to Brno, 5 hours 30 minutes to Vienna, 8 hours 15 minutes to Graz).

"Besides being a fast and direct connection between several important economic centres of our country, Germany and Austria, Vindobona will offer a high standard of travelling and services between Berlin, Vienna and Graz as well. The cars have an A/C system, the train has a restaurant car, meals are served to passengers' seats, there is a business class for the most demanding clients. The train has space for wheelchair users and people travelling with children (a children's cinema, space for strollers and a baby changing desk are available), there is Wi-fi and many other great services. Railjets are the gateway to Europe for České dráhy and our passengers," says Jiří Ješeta, the České dráhy CEO business deputy about the restoration of the connection between Berlin, Prague and Vienna.

Vindobona: A tradition since 1957

The railways introduced this fast connection between Prague, Berlin and Vienna in 1957. The train was a west-European TransEuropExpress train, even though it could reach neither the speed nor the standard that was usual to the west of the then Czechoslovakia. But still, it was significantly faster and more comfortable when compared with other connections.

Since its start until 1979 the drive cars of ČSD, DR and ÖBB were taking it is terms, e.g. the legendary German motor trains "Flying trains", the Austrian "Blauer Blitz" (blue lightning), two GANZ trains carrying the colours of ČSD or drive cars M 296.1 from the Vagónka train plant in Studénka. But it was the smart DR trains of the SVT 175 series that became the true legend – they closed the era of motor drains on the Vindobona line in 1979. And since 1979, conventional fast train cars were used on the route.

From its introduction in 1957 until the beginning of the 1990s, Vindobona was riding on the Berlin – Dresden – Prague – Tabor – České Velenice – Vienna route. The whole route was about 735 km long and for several decades the ride took around 12 hours. But in 1992 traffic was moved between Prague and Vienna to a new rail line via Havlíčkův Brod and Brno, and later – as modernisation of the 1st railway corridor progressed – via Pardubice and Česká Třebová. At that time, the travel time of Vindobona started seeing significant reductions.

At the beginning of 1990s, modern comfortable cars were used and since 1993 it was one of our first trains on the European EuroCity high-convenience network. During the next years, the route for Vindobona was extended to Hamburg and Villach. In 2014, when Railjet trains were launched for the route Prague – Vienna – Graz, the direct train between Vienna, Prague and Berlin was terminated.

České dráhy turned back to the traditional name Vindobona last year when renaming their long-distance lines. Starting with the 2019 timetable, Vindobona is back on the route between Prague and Vienna and in the summer of 2020 the traditional connection between Berlin, Prague and Vienna was restored.

New rules will apply to drones starting 2020 in the Czech Republic, the coronavirus is partly to blame

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 27 May 2020 14:10:22 GMT

"The biggest change is that the operator of the drone needs to register the drone in a new registry of the Civil Aviation Authority, from which it will get a unique ID, identifying all drones. This registration will apply to almost all drones. It will be on-line and free of charge", says Zdeněk Jelínek, head of the Civil Aviation Unit of the Ministry of Transport, about the new system.

Three basic drone operation categories will be introduced: "open", "specific" and "certified". The basic "open" category will allow the operator to operate the drone also without a prior permission from the authority provided applicable terms will be met. The medium "specific" category is intended for those who need to break any of the limits of the basic category. And the most stringent "certified" category will involve future sophisticated drones operations.

Existing premises where it is forbidden or restricted to fly drones will be preserved for the time being. Drones, that will not fully correspond with the new Europe-wide requirements regarding drone parameters and technical equipment, can still be in use for a two-year transitory period. Operators of drones associated in the Union of Hobby Modellers of the Czech Republic and complying the existing domestic rules can take advantage of a two-year period with exemptions from the new rules.

The Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority will introduce, early in advance, rules to regulate drones operation from 2021. You can find the ten biggest changes and details in the recap attached. Information on new rules will be also continuously published at a new special website Be a responsible pilot.

Overview of main changes that come to effect on Dec 31, 2020:

The drone operator must register in the new registry launched by the Civil Aviation Authority and immediately receives an ID number to identify all its drones.
Compulsory registration applies to the majority of people operating a drone with a weight from 250 g.
Registration will be on-line and free of charge – no need to come to the Civil Aviation Authority.
Three basic drone operation categories, each of them subject to different regulations, will be introduced.
The lowest basic operation category will make it possible to operate the drone also without a prior permission from the authority, with a number of restrictions and requirements such as pilot training, etc.
The medium, specific category is intended for those who need to break any of the limits of the basic category. And the most stringent certified category is intended for future sophisticated drones operations.
Existing areas where drones are or are now allowed to fly in the Czech Republic (e.g. the surroundings of airports), will be preserved – at least at the beginning.
New requirements will apply to the parameters and equipment of drones sold in the Czech Republic. However, existing drones not equipped accordingly can still be used without limitations for a transitory period.
Existing domestic rules for the operation of plane models within a club or association of aviation modellers (i.e. Svaz modelářů České republiky z. s. in the Czech Republic) will still temporarily apply.
The above-mentioned rules will enable drone operation across all EU countries provided that additional requirements of the respective country are met as well.

Railway and bus carriers may transport passengers across the borders from 11 May

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 05 May 2020 11:45:53 GMT

The international transport has been suspended since 14 March because of the coronavirus pandemic. For the international air transportation, the Vaclav Havel Airport Prague still remains the only one accepting passengers. The exception can approve only the Minister of the Transport. From 11 May, also the operation on the main railway corridors will be restored, namely Česká Kubice and Děčín on the border with Germany and Břeclav and Horní Dvořiště on border with Austria.

The operation of automated and autonomous vehicles will be dealt with by the newly established Ethics Committee

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 11:23:08 GMT

The main areas that the Ethics Committee will deal with are e.g. human-machine interaction, the issue of artificial intelligence behaviour in the event of accidents, the availability and security of shared data or the issue of responsibility for the software used and for the infrastructure in the Czech Republic.

By the end of 2020, the Ethics Committee will prepare recommendations and proposals for measures that will lead to smooth implementation of autonomous vehicles into normal traffic. A very important and discussed topic is for example the interaction of road and rail vehicles. The expert conclusions of the committee will thus affect not only the area of road transport, but also other kinds of transport, and the Ministry of Transport will be able to use them in a wider context.

The area of ethics is an integral part of the topic of autonomous driving, which has the potential to make a positive contribution to the safety and accessibility of transportation. Setting up the Ethics Committee is in line with strategic materials, such as the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in the Czech Republic and the Memorandum on the Future of the Automotive Industry in the Czech Republic. Ethics is also addressed at the European level – the ethics of artificial intelligence and autonomous driving will be one of the three key points of the meeting which will take place in autumn this year with the participation of EU ministers and representatives of the European Commission.

Members of the Ethics Committee:

Chairman:
PhDr. David Černý, Ph.D. – Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Vice-Chairman:
Mgr. et Mgr. Petr Zámečník – Transport Research Centre

Members:
Mgr. Monika Mareková, M.Jur. (Oxon) – CMS
JUDr. Adam Doležal, LL.M. – Institute of State and Law of the Czech Academy of Sciences
doc. JUDr. Tomáš Doležal, Ph.D., LL.M. – Institute of State and Law of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Ing. Martin Hron – TÜV SÜD Czech
PhDr. Tomáš Hříbek, Ph.D. – Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Mgr. Juraj Hvorecký, Ph.D. – Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Ing. Tomáš Ječný – Škoda Auto
Ing. Václav Jirovský, Ph.D. – Faculty of Transportation Sciences, Czech Technical University in Prague
Daniel D. Novotný, Ph.D. – Faculty of Theology, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
Ing. et Ing. Václav Uhlíř – Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology
prof. RNDr. Jiří Wiedermann, DrSc. – Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Starting from mid-May, intelligent cameras on railway crossings will be put into operation

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 08:55:56 GMT

“As we have previously announced, this is not a repressive but a preventive step, to which we are led by the still high number of very undisciplined drivers who behave in a risky way at the railway crossings.” “The fact that this is not a hidden bullying of the drivers is also evidenced by the fact that the list of railway crossings at which these devices will be in operation is publicly available,” said the head of the railway administration organisation SŽDC Jiří Svoboda.

Until now, footage from the existing cameras on railway crossings has not allowed to give direct fines for unlawful conduct of drivers. This is going to change now. The system, whose pilot program was launched in Úvaly u Prahy more than two years ago, can not only record what is happening at the crossings, but its outputs will make it possible to fine unruly drivers. Based on an agreement and cooperation with the respective municipality, the camera systems can be supplemented with radars which will record cases when the maximum speed limit of the passing road vehicles is exceeded during the idle mode of the crossing.

The described technology will be deployed at 14 crossings, mainly on the railway corridor between Pardubice and Ostrava, as well as on selected regional lines, e.g. Žďárec u Skutče – Svitavy. The system will start operating at the first crossing in Uhersko after 18 May this year. The cameras at the remaining crossing listed in the table will be activated in the second half of July. The total cost of retrofitting these 14 crossings with supervision equipment, including software, exceeded five million crowns.

With respect to the project preparation, zoning proceedings and actual implementation, the second stage of the installation of these intelligent cameras, in which another 16 crossings throughout the Czech Republic will be fitted with completely new equipment, will take place by the end of next year.

A driver who enters a railway crossing in cases where this is prohibited by law commits an offence. According to the law, he/she faces a fine of up to 5,000 crowns, a ban on driving motor vehicles for up to 6 months, and 7 points will be added to his/her account in the points system.

List of railway crossings intended for the implementation of the camera system order:

poř. č.	č. přejezdu	železniční km	traťový úsek	lokalita
1	P4897	286,369	železniční stanice Uhersko	Uhersko
2	P6847	6,64	Svitavy – Květná	Vendolí
3	P6865	21,323	Polička – Borová	Kamenec u Poličky
4	P6890	28,109	železniční stanice Borová u Poličky	Borová
5	P6896	30,38	Borová – Čachnov	Borová
6	P6913	39,521	Čachnov – Skuteč	Krouna
7	P8290	328,679	Louky nad Olší – Karviná hl. n.	Karviná
8	P6511	280,264	Bohumín – Dětmarovice	Dolní Lutyně
9	P6501	245,044	železniční stanice Studénka	Studénka
10	P6506	252,244	Studénka – Jistebník	Jistebník
11	P6508	256,861	Jistebník – Polanka nad Odrou	Ostrava
12	P7868	25,272	Opava východ – Kravaře ve Slezsku	Velké Hoštice
13	P8280	307,712	Bystřice nad Olší – Třinec	Vendryně
14	P6496	231,244	Polom – Suchdol nad Odrou	Mankovice

RSD is starting major works on rebuilding the Rádelský mlýn crossing

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 07:55:32 GMT

The overhead crossing connects road I/35 Turnov – Liberec with road I/65 to Jablonec nad Nisou. The main reason for the rebuilding is to remove the collision point of the traffic directions Liberec – Jablonec with the directions Jablonec – Liberec and Turnov – Jablonec. To do this, it is necessary to build a direct branch of the crossing in the direction from Liberec to Jablonec. The unsatisfactory radius of the crossing will also be extended, making it possible to increase the maximum permitted speed.

Starting from Tuesday, 14 April, traffic at the construction site will be conducted in the left lane (from Liberec) in the 2+1 mode (i.e. 2 lanes for the direction Prague – Liberec and 1 lane for the direction Liberec – Prague). This year, work will be carried out to relocate the right lane to a new position, a part of the existing bridge over the branches of the crossing will be demolished and about a half of the new bridge for the direction Liberec – Jablonec will also be built.

Due to the progressing work on the Jeřmanický stream and the demolition of the part of the existing bridge over the branches of the crossing, the connection of Jablonec nad Nisou on road I/65 will be closed. RSD CR is aware of the complications and difficulties that this closure will bring, but the cramped conditions at the construction site, the nature of the works and the configuration of the terrain do not allow for construction without this limitation.

Detours, especially for trucks, will lead from Prague on road I/35 through Liberec and then on road I/14 to Jablonec nad Nisou. Drivers heading east from Jablonec nad Nisou will be able to use a detour leading from Turnov on road I/10 to Tanvald and then on road I/14 to Jablonec nad Nisou. A detour using road II/287 is another option.

The construction is proposed to be co-funded from the Operational Programme Transportation 2014–2020 from the European Regional Development Fund.

Photo: Valbek, spol. s r. o.

I/35 overhead crossing Rádelský mlýn
category: S 22,5/80
number of civil structures: 31

contractor: Eurovia CS, SaM Silnice a mosty, Integra stavby a.s.
offered price of construction: 408.4 mil. excl. VAT
construction period: 04/2020 – 12/2022

Thank you for building!

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 13:09:54 GMT

Working on construction sites under current conditions is not a matter of course. Therefore, I would like to thank for myself and for our team at the Ministry of Transport to all those who keep traffic constructions going on even in difficult conditions. I am thinking particularly of employees at construction sites who must manage security measures against the spread of COVID 19 in addition to their normal duties. This protects yourself, your loved ones and those around you. Even though it bothers you, I want to remind you how important it is.

A set of safety measures taken at construction sites can help you get oriented in uneasy situations and work in difficult conditions. In addition to saying thank you for complying with these measures, I want to promise you that we will do our best for your safety. On the roads and in the traffic limitations where you work, we will require drivers to drive carefully and observe the reduced speed limit not to endanger you at work and we will also check it, not only in times of coronavirus infection.

Finally, let me assure you that as the Minister of Industry and Transport, I will do my best to maintain the employment in the construction industry. The development of infrastructure and construction activities must be one of the main tools for restarting our economy.

We can do it together!

Karel Havlíček, Minister of Transport

New D1: The first section measurement of speed of this year oversees traffic safety

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 13:50:14 GMT

Considerate drivers follow the rules, observe the speed limit, do not overtake unless they have to and pass through the limitations without any problems. However, then there is a small group of ruthless drivers who consciously disobey the rules and risk their lives and the lives of everyone around them. These speeding drivers who form about one percent of all drivers and cause tragic accidents and traffic complications, need to be targeted and calmed down in cooperation with the police and the competent municipalities that deal with traffic offences.

Apart from the measured section No. 19 near Velké Meziříčí, other section radars will be gradually put into operation between Mirošovice (EXIT 21) and Hvězdonice (EXIT 29) on modernised section No. 2 and also on section No. 16 between Velký Beranov (EXIT 119) and Měřín (EXIT 104). Gradual installation of detection cameras is also planned on section No. 7 Soutice (EXIT 53) – Loket (EXIT 66) and on sections 11 and 12 between Koberovice (EXIT 81) and Větrný Jeníkov (EXIT 104).

“The most common cause of accidents in limited sections is fast driving and crashing into temporary barriers, which can stop traffic in the respective section for hours. In this regard, the police are satisfied with the section speed measurement, because they are able to detect a large number of these cases in traffic,” says Jiří Zlý, the director of the traffic police. In recent years, the number of speeding offences has been around one percent of all those who passed through the section.

“A study of the behaviour of drivers in the closures on D1 showed that when the section measurement started, the average speed decreased by 5 kph. Fewer drivers also exceeded the speed limit. This reduces the risk of accidents, but also makes passing through traffic limitations smoother. If the vehicles move at a similar speed and there is no sudden acceleration and braking, the throughput of the motorway increases by 20 to 30 percent,” says Tomáš Neřold, head of the BESIP department.

Modernization of the D1 section from Prague to Brno is coming closer to its completion in 2021. This year, work will be carried out on the total of up to 71 kilometres of the motorway between Mirošovice and Kývalka, i.e. on all 7 remaining sections which are being modernized.

We are going to open another 37 km (4 sections) of the new D1 this year, so there will be the total of 127 kilometres finished, which is almost 80 percent of the D1 between Prague and Brno. The last 34 kilometres will be left for next year.

We are going to open another 37 km (4 sections) of the new D1 this year, so there will be the total of 127 kilometres finished, which is almost 80 percent of the D1 between Prague and Brno. The last 34 kilometres will be left for next year.

You can find current information on where more modernisation works on the D1 will start at www.facebook.com/dalniceD1/ or at www.novaD1.cz. To see the list of major repairs and restrictions, check www.dopravniinfo.cz or or call the RSD free hotline 800 280 281. The current construction sites can be found at www.mdcr.cz/mapa.

Collaborating with the Road and Motorways Directorate (ŘSD), BESIP prepared a series of training videos how to correctly drive through the sections with restrictions. You can watch all these videos on theFacebook profile od the Ministry of Transport or on the BESIP Youtube channel.

The number of road casualties is the highest in 4 years, March did not improve the statistics much

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 14:52:08 GMT

“After the bad beginning of the year, the situation on the roads was affected by the emergency situation around the coronavirus epidemic and related government measures restricting movement. In March, the number of accidents and both minor and serious injuries decreased year-on-year. Unfortunately, the number of casualties has not significantly dropped in the past month. As regards fatal accidents, the overall balance of the quarter is worse than last year,” said Tomáš Neřold, Head of the BESIP Department of the Ministry of Transport.

While the total number of serious and light injuries has always been below 2019 year-on-year in March, the number of accidents was higher this year before 14 March. The number of casualties fell below last year's values on March 23. Not a single person died on the roads in the Czech Republic for six days, from 21 to 26 March. There were 9 such days in March in total, but last year 10 days without casualties were recorded in March.

“I strongly warn drivers not to give in to the false feeling of safety and looser rules that lower traffic evokes in many people. Excessive speed and low attention to driving has been one of the most common causes of tragic traffic accidents for a long time. People are showing solidarity and mutual consideration in the fight against the spread of coronavirus. I am asking drivers to also transfer responsibility and sensible behaviour to the roads. During this period, we need rescue workers, fire fighters and police officers in places other than traffic accidents,“ emphasized Neřold.

The words of the head of the independent BESIP department Tomáš Neřold are supplemented by Jindřich Frič, Director of the Transport Research Centre: “I consider using restraint systems to be one of the areas with the highest potential for reducing the fatal and serious consequences of accidents. Over a long time, one third of people who were killed and one fifth of people who were seriously injured were not wearing a seat belt in their vehicles. Generally, the lower the road category, the higher the proportion of people who are not wearing a seat belt, e.g. on category III roads and local roads, almost half of the people who were killed did not have their seat belt fastened.”

You can find accident statistics for March and the first quarter of 2020 in the gallery next to the article.

Transport support package approved

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 18:12:01 GMT

“In the current situation, I want to support important areas of our economy. The transport package approved by the government will help not only road transportation companies, but also construction companies, which can expect the budget of the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure to be increased by 6.5 billion to a record 113 billion CZK,“ says Minister of Transport and Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček.

RSD will have to prepare projects for repairs and maintenance or investments in state roads as soon as possible and SŽDC is to prepare further investments in railways amounting to the total of 3.5 billion beyond the current budget.

Transportation companies carrying goods on roads should be helped by postponed payment of toll and road tax. It should be possible to pay toll invoices for trucks within 3 months for vehicles in the post-payment mode (invoice payment) in the period from 4 to 31 July 2020.

According to the government's decision, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Transport and the Minister of the Interior are expected to work out further steps to extend the rotation regime for workers from Slovakia and Poland and also for specialized workers from other EU countries, as the case may be. A system similar to that established for Austria and Germany is supposed to be set up for these countries.

The Czech Republic supports the possibility that companies operating in the Central European area can relocate their employees so that there are no outages on construction sites and in production.

Czech Airlines and Smartwings are launching an air bridge between the Czech Republic and China, importing medical supplies

Odbor komunikace — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 18:34:49 GMT

“It is good that Czech airline companies have been involved in the transport of the necessary medical supplies. In the following days and weeks, CSA and Smartwings aircraft will rotate several times as needed and bring in tens of tons of face masks, respirators, protective suits, and hopefully lung ventilators will also be available. I would like to thank the employees of the Smartwings Group and express them my support,“ says Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Transport Karel Havlíček.

The necessary protective material is ordered by the Ministry of the Interior together with the Ministry of Health, The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are helping Czech Airlines and Smartwings to obtain all necessary permits from the Chinese aviation authorities.

(photo: Smartwings)

Havlíček: The Line Act will shorten the preparation of new motorways by years

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 13:57:27 GMT

“We have the money, we want to build, but our main problem is organizations that block construction. We will negotiate with them. Tens of thousands of people are held hostage by these organizations,“ said the Prime Minister after the meeting at the Road and Motorway Directorate.

The total of 108 construction projects are delayed, of which three dozen are constructions of motorways. Currently blocked constructions include the completion of the D1 motorway between Říkovice and Přerov, the completion of a 60-kilometre section of the D3 motorway in Central Bohemia, a section on D49 Hulín – Fryšták, Mikulov bypass on D52 or a section of D55 between Staré Město and Moravský Písek.

Apart from negotiations with activists, the Minister of Transport will promote the adoption of the so-called Line Act, which is supposed to shorten the preparation of constructions by years. “If we amend the Line Act, add the Polish or German model, we could speed up even the completion of the D11 motorway towards Poland by a year or two.“ said the Minister of Transport and added that the Polish side will reach the border with its S3 motorway between 2023 and 2024 and traffic complications may occur.

Currently, 225.5 kilometres of motorways and category I roads are under construction. This includes 113.1 km of motorways on the green field, 60.7 km of D1 modernization, to which a 10.3 km section will be added this year, and 51 kilometres of category I roads, which are mostly city bypasses.

A total of 80.8 km of motorways and category I roads will be opened in 2020, which means 21.3 km of new motorways, 22.7 km of category I roads and 36.8 km of the new D1. Specifically, people will be able to use two new motorway sections near Řevničov on D6 to Karlovy Vary or the section Rybí – Rychaltice on the D48 motorway. This year, the Road and Motorway Directorate will have a budget of over 50 billion CZK this year, which is double the money compared to 2014 and at the same time the most money since 2009.

The current construction sites in the Czech Republic can be found for example in our interactive map.

The Ministry called for tenders for the completion and operation of the D4 in the form of a PPP

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 15:09:29 GMT

“This is basically an operational leasing motorway where the state is the owner of the motorway, where we will only start paying when the finished motorway starts operations and if appropriate services will be provided. As with the completion of the Písek D4, we are considering using PPP projects for the completion of the Central Bohemian D3 or the D35 motorway as an alternative northern route connecting Bohemia with Moravia and Silesia” says Transport Minister Karel Havlíček.

The Ministry of Transport expects to receive the bids by the end of May 2020 and subsequently, in addition to the actual evaluation, approval by the Government and the Chamber of Deputies will also take place. Conclusion of the concession contract is expected in the autumn of 2020 so that the preparatory work can be started at the end of year 2020, beginning of 2021.

Companies asked for bids represent the world leaders in the construction and operation of motorways and other infrastructure projects. Specifically, these are the consortia DIVIa (Vinci, Meridiam and Eurovia), Via4 - Southern Connection (Porr, OHL, EGIS and Macquarie), and HO-ST - South Bohemia Link (Hochtief and Strabag).

"These participants met the qualifications in the first round, which could be attended by an unlimited number of potential suppliers, and subsequently participated in all negotiations within the competitive dialogue, originally total seven candidates entered the qualification round," adds project coordinator Martin Janeček from the Ministry of Transport.

The D4 PPP project is not only about completing the missing D4 motorway along the entire length of the missing 32 km (including related structures along the route), but also its financing from private investor sources and proper operation and maintenance of the motorway for the duration of the concession contract is necessary to be able to receive payments from the state. Consequently, the concessionaire will bear the risk of repayment of his own invested funds for 28 years.

From the perspective of users, the motorway will be charged in the same way as other roads in the Czech Republic. The income from these fees will be the income of the SFTI and will not be in any way connected with the payment to the concessionaire, which is paid solely on the basis of the principle of adherence to the quality of services.

The state will start paying for the motorway only after its opening

Payments by the concessionaire shall be determined by the State according to the quality of the operation of the D4 motorway and the fulfillment of other obligations. “The concessionaire will therefore be financially sanctioned, for example, for any closures that arise as a result of non-compliance with his obligations, and sanctions will also be increased in the event of closures at peak hours,” explains Janeček.

The bid price will therefore include not only the costs of the construction of the motorway and related structures and technologies, but also the costs of proper operation or the risk of such deductions. The state will be the owner of the motorway for the entire duration of the concession contract, but it will apply after the finished motorway is opened and only in the case of faultless services.

As an example, according to Janeček, there are requirements for compliance with transversal and longitudinal inequality, where in the case of non-compliance in any half-kilometer section, the whole defined half-kilometer section will be considered unavailable and no payment will be paid for it.

"In this context, it can be assumed that the motorway surface in the southern part of the motorway will be completely restored and safety bays will be added to enable the safe shutdown of broken down vehicles," explains the project coordinator. Responsibility for the implementation of the project is mainly taken by the concessionaire, but it is still the state that is the actual owner of the entire motorway from the moment of its construction to the termination of the concession agreement.

The concessionaire will bear the risk of completion and quality of the motorway

From the point of view of meaningful maintenance of roads, the state entrusts the concessionaires with 16 km of immediately adjacent four-lane roads for operation and maintenance of unfinished 32 km. The concessionaire will therefore be responsible for the proper operation of a total of 48 km of the four-lane D4 and I / 20 roads from Skalka u Příbrami to Krašovice on the I / 20 road in front of Písek.

The concessionaire will maintain these 48 kilometers from the motorway management and maintenance center, which he will first design and build, including the new motorway police department. Differently from other motorway projects in the Czech Republic, concessionaires will be able to make changes leading to optimal lifetime costs for the operation and maintenance of the motorway (i.e. the effort to minimize repairs and related closures).

In addition to the existing projects, the project will also be equipped with an advanced system of motorway technology that will allow safe operation and traffic management and allow the state to monitor the concessionaire's obligations.

Havlíček: We will open another section of the D11 motorway towards Poland by the end of next year

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:04:01 GMT

To complete the D11 motorway, it is necessary to build another 41 km to the Polish border. According to the Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček, construction of these sections needs to be accelerated, as the Polish side will reach the border with its S3 motorway between 2023 and 2024 and traffic complications may arise.

„We need to shorten the preparation, speed up land purchasing and build at least the Trutnov – state border section several years earlier. If the Poles get to the Czech-Polish border within three years, it will cause traffic complications. That is why we have to approve the so-called Line Act as soon as possible this year and resolve the possibilities of shortening the entire construction period and bring forward the deadlines for opening of the Czech and the Polish motorway,” says Minister Karel Havlíček.

The first of the intended constructions is a 19.6 km long continuation of the motorway between Jaroměř and Trutnov, after which a 21 km long section will follow up to the state border with the Polish municipality of Lubawka.

Reconstruction of the railway station in Náchod, the Vysokov link or Mileta junction

During their trip to the Hradec Králové region Minister Havlíček, Prime Minister Babiš and the Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová stopped to have a look at the reconstruction of the Jaroměř railway station, which will increase the speed of passing trains and improve the comfort of passengers. According to the Railway Administration, an investment of CZK 904 million will be finalized this July. On their way to Náchod, the government officials also discussed a feasibility study of the Vysokov link, which can shorten the train journey from Hradec Králové to Náchod by 20 minutes.

“We also discussed a big problem which bothers all the inhabitants of Hradec Králové. It is the Mileta junction, which we are planning to rebuild and increase its safety. It is a joint activity of the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD), the city and the region. We are preparing the necessary documentation and we have agreed with the Road and Motorway Directorate that we will start the preparatory work one year earlier than originally planned, i.e. in the autumn of 2021,“ adds Minister Havlíček.

Dálnice HK-Smiřice-Jaroměř bude dokončena 2021/22. Musíme ale urychlit poslední dva úseky D11, Jaroměř- Trutnov-Lubawka. K tomu je nezbytné přijmout liniový zákon,který jsme poslali do Sněmovny a který zkracuje dobu výstavby o třetinu. Právě jsme na klíčovém místě stavby D11/D35. pic.twitter.com/xPOAfgAxxz
— Karel Havlíček (@KarelHavlicek_) February 26, 2020

The Minister of Transport finished the regional trip at the seat of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Hradec Králové where he presented the planned investments in transport, energy, but mainly the trade package, which contains measures for an easier life of entrepreneurs.

Machines are returning to the Brno motorway, 127 km of D1 will be completed by the end of this year

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 13:41:47 GMT

“We expect this construction season to make a major step towards the completion of the D1 modernization in 2021. We are going to open another 37 km of the new D1 this year, so there will be the total of 127 kilometres finished, which is almost 80 percent of the D1 between Prague and Brno. There will be the last 34 km left in the next year,” says the Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček. The most visible work on modernisation will start on the weekend from 6 to 8 March, specifically in the section near Mirošovice and Velké Meziříčí.

The Ministry of Transport and the Road and Motorway Directorate (ŘSD) will take all previously tested measures which support both the safety of drivers and the safety of workers carrying out construction works in close proximity to public traffic. In addition to temporary low crash barriers, highlighted traffic signs, section speed control, mobile information system, ŘSD will put particular emphasis on the reductions of two lanes into one. These are necessary during the construction of a long-term traffic restriction and now these short-term stages are already covered by contractual penalties in case of the set limits are not complied with.

This year will be very difficult for the drivers and according to the minister there is no choice but to ask for their patience. “During the modernization two lanes will be retained in both directions, albeit in a narrowed profile, which significantly helps to handle the situation. I also want to improve communication with drivers so that they have as much information as possible about the modernization process, so that they know what they can expect and could adapt to it, and of course, so that they are informed of any problems and their solutions in time,” says the Minister of Transport and points out the information line of the National Traffic Information Centre (NDIC) 800 280 281, web application www.dopravniinfo.cz and www.novaD1.cz. The National Traffic Information Centre shares the traffic data with Google's enhanced navigation apps, such as Maps or Waze.

The whole modernization of the 161 km of the D1 motorway between Mirošovice and Kývalka started in 2013 and will be finished in autumn 2021. The construction consists in complete removal of the original surface and subsoil and construction of a new motorway in the same track under full traffic, including all road overpasses.

The budget of the Railway Administration has been increased by more than four billion crowns

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 15:51:42 GMT

“The budget of our organization has been increased thanks to clearly declared support from the government, which is aware that railway transport plays a strategic role throughout the Czech Republic.” Therefore, it considers the development of railway transport one of its priorities,” said Jiří Svoboda, CEO of the Railway Administration.

Among other things, this increase will be reflected in the non-investment area to strengthen resources for the repairs and maintenance of railway lines. In case of non-investment resources, the amount is CZK 1.85 billion, the whole amount is made up of national resources.

The remaining approximately CZK 2.4 billion will then go towards strengthening investment. This amount consists of both national resources (less than 1 billion crowns) and European resources, approximately two-thirds are from the Operational Programme Transportation and one third from the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) Programme.

In the area of investment, the increased resources will be used mainly to start new constructions which have not yet been covered by the budget. These constructions include for example:

Railway line electrification including pre-electrification preparations Brno – Zastávka u Brna, Phase I.
GSM-R Chomutov – Cheb
GSM-R Ústí nad Labem – Chomutov
ETCS Beroun – Plzeň
Establishing a passing loop in Bartoušov
Revitalization of the line Chlumec nad Cidlinou – Trutnov
ETCS Mosty u Jablunkova – Dětmarovice
Modernization of the railway junction Pardubice
Reconstruction of R110 kV on traction power station (TNS) Jablunkov

A part of the increased resources for investment will be used to strengthen the financing of constructions already under way, such as the Increasing the line speed in the section Valašské Meziříčí – Hustopeče nad Bečvou or Railway corrections in the railway station Žďár nad Sázavou.

The increased budget of the Railway Administration will also make it possible to implement quite an ambitious plan for the repairs and reconstruction of station buildings.

The Railway Administration recorded 296 events during the storm Sabine

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 11:46:49 GMT

Out of the total number of 192 traffic interruptions, 19 events concerned preventive traffic interruption, 169 events were caused by trees falling on the railway tracks, and four events had a different reason (roof falling on the rails, equipment in the railway track, etc.). The worst situation was in the South Bohemian and Pilsen regions under the administration of the Plzeň Regional Directorate, where the total of 65 events occurred. For the longest time, for almost 80 hours, the traffic between Rybník and Lipno in South Bohemia was stopped, where fallen trees damaged the overhead wires.

The worst situation was on Monday, 10 February, when the Railway Administration recorded the total of 219 events, a day later it was 76 events, on Sunday, 9 February, only one event. Regarding the amount of damage, it exceeded CZK 2.7 million in the two most affected regions, the total amount for the entire network of the Railway Administration reached up to CZK 8.9 million. Apart from damage to the tracks and the overhead wires, some station buildings were also damaged during the storm Sabine, such as in Turnov, Liberec, Prague-Běchovice or Újezdec u Luhačovic. In most cases, it was partially damages roofs.

The Solar Orbiter mission with Czech devices on board takes off into space

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 16:00:15 GMT

Participation in the Solar Orbiter has been the largest involvement of Czech research institutes and companies in the preparation of a spacecraft since the Czech Republic joined the ESA in 2008. It is the ESA programmes that enable the Czech Republic to participate in the preparation of scientific missions and also in other perspective and technologically demanding space projects that would not be possible to implement in the Czech Republic itself.
Five Czech teams succeeded in the preparation of the spacecraft, working on four of the total of 10 devices which the spacecraft is equipped with:

control software and power supply for an X-ray spectrometer STIX (The Astronomical Institute of the CAS and the software company Evolving Systems Consulting),
mirrors for the METIS telescope for observation and spectroscopy of the solar corona (The Astronomical Institute of the CAS and the Institute of Plasma Physics of the CAS),
electronics for the SWA sensor of a solar wind analyser (Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University) and for the RPW device for measuring the magnetic and electric fields, electronics of the TDS digital wave analyser (The Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the CAS and a specialized CSRC workplace of the company BD Sensors).
It is an unprecedented level of involvement of Czech workplaces in one mission. Such a massive participation of Czech scientists and companies would not be possible without additional funding from commonly unavailable financial resources in ESA which were negotiated by the Ministry of Transport in 2011.

The Minister of Transport, who is responsible for coordinating the space activities of the Czech Republic, submitted a strategic document defining the direction of space activities to the Government in autumn 2019. The Government approved the National Space Plan 2020-2025 and provided investment in space activities of the Czech Republic, which are implemented through the ESA, in the amount of CZK 1.53 billion per year. This represents a year-on-year increase of 27% and a five-fold increase compared to 2008, when the Czech Republic joined the ESA as its 18^th member state.

The National Space Plan 2020 is a strategy of the Czech Republic for the development of the capacity and capabilities of its industry and academic sphere. The aim is to ensure competitiveness and maximize the return on public investment in space activities and related areas. Through the new space plan the Ministry of Transport wants to support the further growth of the space industry so that Czech companies can supply more complex components of satellites and launchers, such as whole instruments or complex subsystems of large satellites. The emphasis of the space plan is also put on ambitious projects which link the capacities of the academic sphere and Czech companies in order to create scientific excellence, to establish themselves on the commercial market and meet the needs of the state.

The Czech Republic implements most of its space activities through the European Space Agency (ESA), which it joined as a full member in late 2008. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the participation of Czech companies in space projects; now (2019), Czech companies are recognized members of international supply chains producing launchers, satellites and ground segments.

Without participation in the ESA projects it is almost impossible to get into the supply chains of companies such as Airbus, Thales, OHB or other large companies.

In 2008 – 2019, almost 400 projects were implemented by Czech companies and universities.

Space activities represent a unique opportunity for the future of the Czech Republic also thanks to the fact that the Czech Republic has acquired the seat of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency (GSA) (it has been based in Prague since 2012). This opened up further opportunities for Czech entities to develop applications for the Galileo satellite navigation system. Since 2021, the GSA has been transforming into an EU Agency for the Space Programme. The Copernicus Earth observation programme, the preparation of the Govsatcom satellite telecommunications program, and the concentration of EU capacities to protect the Earth from the negative effects of the outer space will also be managed from Prague. We must make the most of these opportunities, which other states can only envy us!

Image source: © ESA

Minister Havlíček: We must speed up the preparation of the completion of the entire D11

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 16:02:50 GMT

„We need to shorten the preparation, speed up land purchasing and build at least the Trutnov – state border section several years earlier. If the Poles get to the Czech-Polish border within three years, it will cause traffic complications. That is why we have to approve the so-called Line Act as soon as possible this year and resolve the possibilities of shortening the entire construction and bring forward the deadlines for opening of the Czech and the Polish motorway,” said Minister Karel Havlíček after the meeting with his Polish counterpart Andrzej Adamczyk.

Minister Havlíček will set up an internal working team at the Ministry of Transport. In the Chamber of Deputies, a team across the political spectrum will be created under the leadership of deputy Martin Kolovratník, who will get inspiration in Poland for how to speed up construction as regards legislation.

Another topic of the joint meeting was the restoration of the long-distance connection Prague – Wrocław on the existing conventional railway route. So far four pairs of trains can be expected on the route Prague – Ústí nad Orlicí – Lichkov – Wrocław, going further on in the direction of Gdynia with a journey time of about 4 hours. These trains are planned to start their operation from December 2022.

Both ministers were also informed about the current state of preparation of high-speed rail lines. The Czech Republic is preparing feasibility studies for Czech sections of high-speed connections with operational links to neighbouring countries. Coordination of preparatory steps, schedules and planning in the individual V4 countries for the high-speed railway connection Budapest – Bratislava – Brno – Přerov – Ostrava – Katowice – Warszawa is becoming crucial.

In the Czech Republic, modernization of the Brno – Přerov line to a maximum speed of 200 kph (2022 – 2028) has already been approved, a feasibility study for a high-speed connection Prague – Brno – Břeclav is being prepared, as well as a feasibility study for the high-speed connection (Brno) – Přerov – Ostrava.

In 2018, a land-technical study of the new Prague – Wrocław high-speed connection was prepared on the Czech side, the aim of which was to define the territorial throughput of such a line within the Czech Republic (alternatively through Liberec and Hradec Králové) and to determine its investment costs. In 2020, a feasibility study will be commissioned and coordinated in agreement with the Polish side.

As part of the follow-up bilateral negotiations, the parameters of the new high-speed rail line between Bohumín and Katowice in Poland will be coordinated in order to specify the border crossing point and define the parameters of the track. This procedure will help to eliminate large territorial reserves for the new line near Bohumín in the future.

Preparations for the construction of the high-speed rail line from Prague to Dresden continue

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 16:31:27 GMT

“We are already discussing the details with our German partners, preparing a feasibility study for the high-speed rail line and the route the railway could lead through, solving the specific routing of the common 26 km long Ore Mountains tunnel, including its financing,” says the Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček. Thanks to the new high-speed rail line, the journey between Prague and Dresden will only take 60 minutes, and thus it will be shortened to a half.

In a joint letter to the European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, the Czech Republic supported Germany's request to co-finance the preparation of the German section from the CEF funds. On the Czech side, the preparatory work on the project will be financed from national resources and then from 2021 from CEF2.
The preparation of the construction is currently focused mainly on the section Ústí nad Labem – Dresden, including the 26 km long tunnel section. A feasibility study is being prepared for the Railway Administration in order to select a suitable route of the line and appropriate speed for passenger and freight traffic.

The common costs of the cross-border tunnel preparation are divided in the ratio of 43 (Czech Republic): 57 (Germany), this ratio takes into account the length of the tunnel on each side of the border. The Federal Republic of Germany expects the costs of the pre-project phase of EUR 30 - 40 million, the total design costs are expected to be approximately EUR 500 million .

Other common topics at the meeting in Berlin also included the issue of modernizing the railway from Prague via Pilsen – Domažlice – Furth im Wald – Munich and Nuremberg. The modernization of the Pilsen – Domažlice – state border line will take place in its full length of approximately 70 km.

The aim of the constructions is to increase the track speed up to 140 kph on the existing sections of the line and up to 200 kph on the new realignment, the length and solution of which were specified when the feasibility study was completed. It is essential for the Czech Republic that the electrification and capacity increase of the Schwandorf – Furth im Wald section be carried out on the German side in order to follow up the ongoing steps in project preparation in the Czech Republic in terms of the extent of modifications.

The delegations also addressed the issue of alternative mobility, when the Czech Minister of Transport informed about announcing further calls for the construction of hydrogen filling stations and for the support of the construction of conventional charging stations. The Czech Republic would like to draw on Germany's experience in introducing hydrogen mobility. “I think it is important to obtain information primarily on the usability of hydrogen propulsion in our railway transport,” says Karel Havlíček.

Traffic in the Czech sky exceeded 900,000 aircraft movements again

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 10:57:50 GMT

For the whole of 2019, 906,666 aircraft movements were recorded in the airspace of the Czech Republic, which represents a year-on-year decrease in traffic by 0.6% compared to 2019 (912,815 aircraft movements). The traffic was traditionally the highest in July, when the Prague Air Traffic Control Centre provided its services to 95,206 aircraft movements – an average of 3,070 flights per day. According to statistics, aircraft in the Czech sky flew a total of 208,000,000 kilometres and their total weight was 95,000,000 tons.

Lufthansa remains the company's largest customer, followed by Wizz Air and Ryanair.

Given the capacity problems of the pan-European air traffic system and at the request of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EUROCONTROL), the company re-joined the measures to maintain an acceptable delay rate in Central and Western Europe. As a result of these measures and also due to capacity problems in Hungary and Austria, aircraft on long-haul routes outside the Czech airspace were redirected, mainly northwards over Poland, or southwards over Serbia and Croatia.

In 2019, the capacity requirements of all airspace users in the Czech Republic were met and the delay rate decreased by 44% to 0.27 minutes per flight compared to 2018. The company's share of the pan-European delay is thus negligible 1.1%. This fact and the work of Czech air traffic controllers was appreciated by both EUROCONTROL and the air carriers during the first evaluation of 2019.

A similar development was recorded at Václav Havel Airport Prague, where the number of aircraft movements (take-offs and landings) decreased by 0.5% year-on-year to 154,485. The total traffic at all Czech airports (Prague, Brno, Ostrava and Karlovy Vary) at which Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) of the Czech Republic provides its services is 230,458 take-offs and landings (year-on-year decrease of 1%).

“We take the development and experience of 2019 as an opportunity and therefore actively negotiate with our partners in Germany, Austria and Hungary to eliminate restrictions for our customers with a suitable operational solution in 2020,” said Jan Klas, CEO of the Czech Air Navigation Institute.

Selected operational information

Total traffic in 2019

906,666 aircraft movements

The highest traffic for one month – July 2019

95,206 aircraft movements

The highest traffic in one day – 12 July 2019

3,210 aircraft movements

Total number of passengers in the Czech airspace in 2019 *

approx. 135 million

The most frequent type of aircraft in the Czech sky

Boeing 737 all types – 196,345 movements

The number of Airbus A 380 – 800 flights

17,506 movements

* With an average capacity of 150 seats per aircraft

Overtaking for trucks is forbidden on the most needed 116 km of motorways

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 16:41:43 GMT

The signs can be found on D1, D5, D8 and D11 motorways, see the table for details:

Motorway	from	to	direction*	lengh	sign	Time (measure)	valid from	form	valid until
D1	179	203,9	P	24,9	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D1	205,5	210,3	P	4,8	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D1	210,5	185,85	L	24,65	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D5	0	11,5	P	11,5	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D5	14,8	22,5	P	7,7	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D5	14,8	9	L	5,8	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D5	6	0	L	6	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D8	0	9	P	9	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D8	6	0	L	6	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D11	0	8	P	8	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020
D11	8	0	L	8	B22a	06–22 h	01/2020	PÚP	04/2020

* P = direction from Prague; L = direction to Prague

After the pilot operation in the spring, we will evaluate the effect of the measures taken and decide on further steps.

Overtaking bans are placed where it is most needed from the point of view of traffic research in terms of density and accident rate.

Overall, two sections of variable marking on the D1 motorway (heavy traffic, bad weather) will present 145 kilometres of overtaking restrictions for trucks on Czech motorways.

Adding to it the already existing limitation for truck traffic over 12 t to the total of 29 km of motorways (see below), we get almost 200 km.

middle lane on D1 at 6 – 0 km Průhonice – Prague
restrictions in tunnel sections on D8: Prackovice – Radejčín and Libouchec – Panenská
Klimkovice Tunnel on D1

Karel Havlíček took over the management of the transport department

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 12:08:46 GMT

“I'm not joining the Ministry of Transport to patronize, but to help. I want to manage the Ministry in a product way, i.e. depending on the individual types of transport. We will announce the public procurement for the electronic vignette again, simplify it and monitor all public procurements thoroughly all the time. Putting 21.3 km of new motorways and 23.5 km of class I roads into operation this year will also be a priority. In rail transport, the clear goal is for passengers to use the universally usable One Ticket in December 2020,” said Karel Havlíček.

Minister Havlíček arrived in the ministry building together with prime minister Andrej Babiš. They were welcomed here by the departing minister Vladimír Kremlík who gave the handover report to minister Havlíček where he summed up the current agenda at the Ministry of Transport. Minister Havlíček and the Prime Minister then met the different deputies and heads of organisations that report to ŘSD.

Karel Havlíček graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Czech Technical University and later habilitated as associate professor at the Faculty of Finance and Accounting. In the academic sphere, he is mainly associated with the University of Finance and Administration, where he was a dean. He led the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Czech Republic for many years. On 30 April 2019 the President of the Republic appointed him the Minister of Industry and Trade and he has been assigned the management of the Ministry of Transport from 24 January 2020.

Preparations for the new Dresden – Prague rail connection continue

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 15:35:04 GMT

Last year, zoning proceedings for the German part of the project for the new Dresden – Prague railway connection commenced in the Free State of Saxony. The extension of the tunnel under the Ore Mountains will also be considered during the proceedings, so the Railway Administration will examine the possible impacts on the Czech part of the project.

Currently, the Railway Administration is preparing public procurements for a geodetic survey of the corridor for the planned RS 4 section of the high-speed rail line Praha-Vysočany – Lovosice/Litoměřice and for a geological and a natural survey. In addition, it will also ask for updates of the territorial development principles of the regions concerned, which is a step necessary to obtain a zoning permit. For these activities, the Railway Administration uses continuous outputs from the new railway connection Prague – Dresden feasibility study.

The new line will not only be important for international transport, but it will also significantly speed up the connection of the Ústí Region with Prague and contribute to the economic development of the entire region.

Kremlík: I respect the Prime Minister's decision

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 17:49:39 GMT

I appreciate that the Prime Minister mentioned my move on the goal. At the Ministry of Transport, I started or completed a lot of things:

we successfully and smoothly launched a new toll system, doubted and criticized by the media a thousand times by the way,
we submitted an amendment to the Linear Act which is supposed to shorten the preparation of buildings by three to four years,
modernization of the D1 motorway is progressing in line with the plan and will end in 2021,
we accelerated the preparation of high-speed rail lines
for this year we managed to negotiate a budget of 93 billion crowns, which will ensure that the record construction of motorways, category I roads and railways will continue
on motorways, we finally managed to place the STOP-PROTISMĚR (WRONG WAY) sign on 66 most risky exits.

I would like to thank all my colleagues who helped me in my uneasy role of the Minister of Transport in the past months. I wish my successor good luck with finalizing a number of tasks.

Vladimír Kremlík

Railway Administration is testing the Břeclav – Vranovice line for the speed of 200 kph

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:04:41 GMT

The section Vranovice – Břeclav is a part of the planned high-speed rail line network. In future, the high-speed rail line from Brno, which will be the branch of the main high-speed rail line Prague – Brno – Ostrava, should end in Šakvice. The trains will go further on to Břeclav along the current modernized conventional line, where the line speed will increase to 200 kph after necessary modifications. “We promised to gradually increase speed on the Czech railways. We are moving on to specific actions. The existing infrastructure does not make it possible to increase the speed of trains without necessary modifications, such as the removal of all level crossings and crossings. The ongoing tests will provide background information for the projects under preparation,” says Jiří Svoboda, CEO of the Railway Administration.

As regards the modernization of the line between Vranovice and Břeclav to a higher speed, the preparation of the project should start this year, it will be followed by the building permit design and the actual implementation of the construction so that everything is completed by the end of 2025. As part of the construction work, it will be necessary to reconstruct the railway stations Podivín and Zaječí (building platforms), remove the pedestrian crossing in Podivín and crossing in Starovičky in the section Zaječí – Šakvice, restore the railway substructure and superstructure and traction lines or repair bridges. The current speed tests examine the current state of bridges and their durability at higher speeds.

As the last speed tests at 200 kph were performed on this line in 2004, preparations for the implementation of speed tests started in September last year. The condition of the line in the test section was first technically examined by a measuring rail flaw detection vehicle and at the same time by running a measuring wagon of the traction line of the Railway Administration. In addition to bridges and other artificial structures, crossings, platforms, polycarbonate shelters, etc. were also examined. Other technical components and track equipment were checked in detail. Modifications and adjustments of the individual elements of infrastructure were then made for speed tests at 200 kph. The required condition of the line in the test section was checked again by measuring wagons.

On Monday, 9 December 2019, trial and test runs at 200 kph were carried out in the section Břeclav – Vranovice. The Siemens Vectron locomotive was used in them, which is fully equipped with the on-board part of the European Train Control System (ETCS). The tests focused on the behaviour of the ETCS at speeds above 160 kph. Furthermore, the dynamic behaviour of load-bearing structures of selected bridges was tested at 160–200 kph. Two bridge structures (from 1933 and 1946) with load-bearing structures, which are (according to a prepared study) susceptible to excessive dynamic response (oscillation), were selected for testing. The measurements were provided by the Czech Technical University in Prague – Faculty of Civil Engineering and by the employees of the Technical Centre of Infrastructure. The measurement results will be used to optimally design new bridge structures and repair the existing ones while upgrading the track for higher speeds.

In cooperation with the Department of Railway Structures of the Czech Technical University in Prague, acoustic measurements were also made when the vehicle was passing at 200 kph. In addition to the classic accurate measurement of the acoustic burden level by a calibrated instrument, a so-called “acoustic camera” was used (for the first time on the railway in the Czech Republic) to identify the location and the cause of noise. Using this technology it is possible to graphically determine the location and intensity of the noise burden (e.g. contact of the rail wheel, subsoil, contact of the trolley with the pantograph, etc.). For the prediction of noise burden at speeds higher than 160 kph, theoretical calculation models are used on the railway. The measurements and the calculation model will be used to determine the noise burden and to lay down measures to comply with the mandatory noise limits.

In 2020, more than 850,000 driving licenses will expire

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 12:24:44 GMT

It is possible to exchange the driving license free of charge at any municipality with extended competence, as soon as three months before the document expires. A list of all offices is available in an interactive map of the Ministry of Transport. A valid identity document and an existing driving license are required for replacement. When submitting the application, the applicant no longer submits a paper photograph; officials take a digital photograph on site or download the current photograph from the population register. If the driver requests the document to be replaced within 5 days, it will cost him/her CZK 700.

If people drive with an expired driving license, they risk a fine of up to CZK 2,000 on the spot, and up to CZK 2,500 in case of administrative proceedings.

The most busy regions include the Central Bohemian Region, the South Moravian Region and the Prague Region. Citizens can be informed about the expiration of the document through the Citizen Portal. You can find up-to-date statistics on exchange of driving licenses on our website.

Note to the driving licenses which have not been exchanged last year. Theoretically, these licenses still need to be replaced, but experience from previous years shows that some drivers exchange their license only when it expires or do not apply for a new license at all.

In 2019, carriers were prescribed toll in the amount of CZK 10,946 billion.

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 10:35:11 GMT

Following the expansion of the toll road network on 1 January 2020, CzechToll has been operating a satellite toll system on 1,102 kilometres of category I roads and 1,307 kilometres of motorways. A total of 2,409 kilometres of roads and highways are currently subject to toll in the Czech Republic. Although the network of toll roads and motorways has been extended by 903 kilometres compared to the original toll system, the operation of the satellite system is three times cheaper than the original microwave system.

The new toll system was launched in December 2019. The Czech Republic is the first country in the world to replace an expensive microwave technology with a satellite toll system.

	toll in 2018	toll in 2019	change
January	858.175.699 Kč	894.437.460 Kč	4,23 %
February	839.486.480 Kč	873.701.233 Kč	4,08 %
March	924.928.443 Kč	963.480.463 Kč	4,17 %
April	888.434.002 Kč	926.499.138 Kč	4,28 %
May	952.426.540 Kč	979.047.972 Kč	2,80 %
June	949.068.487 Kč	915.300.563 Kč	-3,56 %
July	874.957.510 Kč	926.241.591 Kč	5,86 %
August	887.063.409 Kč	851.431.826 Kč	-4,02 %
September	892.836.065 Kč	931.264.558 Kč	4,30 %
October	1.038.697.881 Kč	1.003.252.158 Kč	-3,41 %
November	980.711.335 Kč	956.607.679 Kč	-2,46 %
December	730.169.486 Kč	724.541.048 Kč	-0,77 %
CELKEM	10.816.955.337 Kč	10.945.805.689 Kč	1,19 %

Contact for further information:
Miroslav Beneš, spokeperson CzechToll s.r.o.
+420 603 174 347 | miroslav.benes@czechtoll.cz

CzechToll successfully launched toll payment on 902.9 km of newly charged roads and motorways

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 08:55:36 GMT

With regards to today's national holiday, there is only a minimum number of vehicles subject to toll payment driving on roads in the Czech Republic. Nevertheless, the first toll transaction on newly charged 1st category roads was identified as early as 16 seconds after midnight on road I/26 between the Folmava border crossing and the municipality of Česká Kubice. The haulier from the Czech Republic was charged a toll of CZK 1.59 for passing through the toll section.

Within the expanded network of toll roads, vehicles over 3.5 tons pay toll on the total of 37 sections of 1st category roads (both original and new).

“The huge advantage of the satellite toll system is the possibility of further expansion of the toll road network, if necessary, with regards to freight transport management in the Czech Republic. There is no need to build any toll gantries within the satellite system, so expansion can usually be done in a few months and at a relatively low cost, ” said Petr Chvátal, the CzechToll COO.

In connection with the expansion of the toll road network, some hauliers who have not yet driven on toll roads have to register their vehicles and equip them with the on-board unit. The internet self-service at www.mytocz.eu, more than 200 points of sale and 15 regional branches of the Czech Chamber of Commerce remain available to them. CzechToll does not expect any complications in the registration of these new vehicles; the capacity of inland points of sale exceeds the expected number of newly registered vehicles.

List of new toll roads in effect as of 1 January 2020

Number	Stretch of Road	Distance (in km)
I/3	Mirošovice-Mezno	43,5
I/4	Praha-Jíloviště	5,2
I/6	Bošov-Karlovy Vary	29,7
I/11	Krásné Pole-Ostrava	8,7
I/12	Praha-Kolín	32,5
I/16	Mladá Boleslav-Úlibice	37,0
I/19	Oltyně-Čekanice	10,0
I/19	Tábor-Pelhřimov	34,0
I/20	Plzeň-České Budějovice	112,5
I/26	Plzeň-Folmava	51,7
I/34	České Budějovice-Jindřichův Hradec	40,7
I/34	Jarošov nad Nežárkou-Havlíčkův Brod	55,6
I/35	Turnov-Jičín	13,8
I/35	Úlibice-Hradec Králové	30,2
I/35	Hradec Králové-Mohelnice	89,3
I/37	Hradec Králové-Pardubice	17,3
I/38	Jestřebí-Mladá Boleslav	31,1
I/38	Poděbrady-Jihlava	86,9
I/43	Brno-Svitavy	44,8
I/50	Holubice-Rovné	86,1

PF 2020

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 08:57:24 GMT

On Monday CzechToll issued 9 thousand OBUs at the border and collected more than 40 million CZK

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 15:46:01 GMT

As at midnight yesterday, 322,000 cars were registered in the new toll system, more than 70% of the expected number. Over 223 thousand on-board units were issued. During the first working day, CzechToll issued 9,000 OBUs at border points of sale; activity at inland points of sale was minimal given that 93% of the vehicles had already been registered by domestic hauliers before the start of the system.

The new system collects tolls efficiently, the number of recorded incidents is minimal in relation to the total number of vehicles driving on toll roads. “At the moment of the launch of the new toll system, the Customs Administration deployed all 25 vehicles, which are currently working around the clock. Until this morning, 38 incidents have been detected. Incidents involved missing OBUs (16 cases) or incorrectly set units. One case in which the on-board unit was missing was handed over for administrative proceedings,” said Martina Kaňková, spokesperson of the General Directorate of Customs.

Warnings of the risk of traffic complications at the border points of sales continue to apply. Although no dangerous situation occurred due to the presence of traffic police yesterday or this morning, the longest queue at Lanžhot reached two kilometres, but also in the coming days an increased number of lorries from abroad will need to stop at the registration points.

“Over 130,000 vehicles, which passed the Czech Republic at the turn of 2018 and 2019 and were counted in the statistics of the expected number of registered vehicles, are still not registered. We do not know whether they will pass through the Czech Republic today, this week or in January. But we must be prepared for them to come anytime. This is one of the reasons why we continue to ask drivers to be cautious at border crossings where shorter queues can form occasionally, ”said Miroslav Beneš, the spokesperson of CzechToll.

CzechToll has invested more than CZK 60 million in measures to double the capacity of the border points of sale operating under extraordinary circumstances, which involve about 700 staff. At the borders, CzechToll is ready to register 15,000 drivers per day without a new on-board unit, and another 65,000 drivers per day can register their vehicle inland.

Extraordinary measures will reduce traffic complications upon launching the new toll system

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 12:09:52 GMT

As at 20 November 2019, the number of vehicles that have registered for the new toll system was around 251 thousand, approximately 55% of the totalexpected number of 458 thousand vehicles. Over the past week, CzechToll has shipped 60,000 new on-board units, while the total of on-board units already delivered to hauliers is 141,000. Unfortunately, despite the threat of large queues, hauliers continue to underestimate the obligation to register and the points of sale are far from busy.

“Our company has prepared the maximum possible measures to reduce the waiting time and reduce traffic complications when the toll system is launched. Beyond our contractual obligations, we have invested more than CZK 50 million excluding VAT,” said Matej Okáli, CzechToll CEO.

In addition to extensive organisational and information measures, the capacity of POSs at border crossings will be reinforced as much as possible. New workplaces are already being set up at the POSs, which will temporarily increase the capacity for registering and issuing new on-board units. Temporary registration points will also be established at the exits from the Slovak Republic.

“With regards to the capacity of the parking areas, but also the space possibilities of POSs, it is not possible to achieve the handling of thousands of vehicles coming from abroad without the on-board unit without waiting. There will be traffic complications, but we believe that to a much lesser extent than without the implemented measures,” added Matej Okáli.

The measures will significantly improve the expected traffic situation at critical border crossings. At the crossing of Lanžhot - Kúty the line of vehicles will be shortened from the expected 44 km to 12 km, at the crossing of Bohumín - Gorzyczki from 40 km to 11 km, at Český Těšín - Cieszyn from 22 km to 5 km. There is also a risk at the other crossings - queues of waiting lorries can temporarily form also inland at POSs and petrol stations.

Selection of measures taken to alleviate the expected traffic complications as a result of the low activity by small hauliers from abroad in registering for the new electronic toll system in the Czech Republic:

There are 41 temporary workstations created responsible for communicating with fuel card issuers (FCIs) and to ensure, as much as possible, the completion of the documents needed to dispatch on-board units to hauliers registered via the FCIs.
The free delivery of on-board units by post was extended to Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania and Estonia.
11 additional registration workstations were set up at selected border crossings operating 24/7, some of them within the territory of the Slovak Republic.
15 mobile registration points were set up to operate at border crossings operating 24/7 as well. Mobile registration vehicles deployed at parking areas may be moved between the parking areas in the event of the formation of queues.

The registration process at selected border crossings will be coordinated in detail:

Coordinators will be continuously present at the six border crossings to ensure that foreign hauliers are handled as smoothly as possible when registering and installing the new on-board unit;
the coordinators will be primarily at the border crossings of Bohumín - Gorzyczki, Český Těšín - Cieszyn, Lanžhot - Kúty, Mosty u Jablunkova - Svrčinovec, Nachod - Kudowa Zdrój and Krásný les - they can move to other locations if necessary;
the coordinators will be visibly marked with a reflective vest with the MYTOCZ logo;
drones will be involved in traffic management.

At petrol stations, resting areas and parking areas with a POS for registration, trained promoter teams will invite drivers in person to register (5 vehicles with staff).
In places with high incidence of lorries there are 7 mobile registration stations with staff.
The communication campaign has been significantly strengthened: the 'information campaign' has unfortunately become a 'persuasion campaign'.
Toll road administrators in Germany (BAG), Poland (GDDKIA), Austria (ASFINAG) and Slovakia (NDS) will be alerted about the risk situation.
Crisis communication is coordinated between the Ministry of Transport, the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic (RSD CR), the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic, the Police of the Czech Republic and CzechToll.
Measures will be taken to coordinate crisis management of traffic between the RSD CR, the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic, the Police of the Czech Republic/Poland/Slovak Republic and CzechToll.

Hauliers can easily register on the website www.mytocz.eu; after paying the refundable deposit, they will receive the on-board unit by post. Registration is also possible through fuel card issuers, at more than 200 POSs and at 15 selected branches of the Czech Chamber of Commerce.

For complete information about the new toll system visit www.mytocz.eu or call the non-stop customer line +420 243 243 243.

Five weeks before the start of the new toll system 27% of the expected 458,000 cars are registered

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 10:24:25 GMT

While larger hauliers have already registered 71% of the expected number of vehicles (specifically 109,000) under the post-pay toll mode, small hauliers have registered only less than 5% of vehicles (13,000). In terms of the number of registrations required, most vehicles that remain to be registered are from Poland (94,000), the Czech Republic (70,000) and Romania (28,000).

As part of the information campaign to launch the new toll system, CzechToll has contacted each haulier that operates more than 10 lorries by phone in the first month of the registration period, distributed a total of 230,000 information materials, sent 110,000 information letters by post and 60,000 by address e-mail. CzechToll is disseminating the necessary registration information with the help of industry organisations and over than seven million Internet users from the relevant target group have seen haulier-targeted online advertising.

Overview of countries with over 10 thousand vehicles without the necessary registration for the new toll system

Country	Remaining estimated number of vehicles for which registration is required (rounded to thousands)	Number of registered vehicles (rounded to thousands)	Percentage of vehicles already registered of the total expected number
Poland	94 000	24 000	20 %
Czech Republic	70 000	59 000	45 %
Romania	28 000	7 000	19 %
Germany	26 000	2 000	8 %
Hungary	16 000	7 000	32 %
Slovakia	15 000	11 000	42 %
Lithuania	13 000	3 000	18 %
Belarus	10 000	3 000	23 %

Vehicle registration is available online at www.mytocz.eu, through fuel card issuers, at more than 200 points of sale and at 15 selected branches of the Chamber of Commerce. In case of online registration, the haulier will receive a new on-board unit upon payment of the refundable deposit by post (free shipping applies to shipments within the Czech Republic, to Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia).

Complete information about the new toll system can be found at www.mytocz.eu or on the non-stop customer service line +420 243 243 243.

Only 5% of small carriers registered into the new toll system in one month, out of the large carriers it was one half

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 13:38:49 GMT

Minister of Transport Vladimír Kremlík personally tried to register for the new toll system in the pre-paid regime today at the Prague branch of the Czech Chamber of Commerce. It took him less than four minutes to register one vehicle and pay the refundable deposit for the on-board unit.

“The system of registration at sales points is fast and simple. That is why I urge carriers not to wait any longer and obtain new on-board units as soon as possible. This week, I will address a similar appeal to transport ministers in countries where carriers have very limited interest in registrations so far,” said Vladimír Kremlík.
CzechToll is concerned about the lack of interest in registrations, especially in case of carriers from Poland. They currently have approximately 117,000 domestic on-board units in their vehicles. However, only 15,000 vehicles have been registered in the new system by now. This is one of the reasons why CzechToll strengthened the information campaign in Poland beyond the original budget at the end of last week. In terms of statistics, carriers from the Czech Republic (41,000 vehicles registered) and Slovakia (8,000 vehicles) are the best in meeting the obligation to register their vehicles.

“Unless small carriers start picking up new on-board units on a mass scale, they will spend unnecessary hours in the queues at the turn of November and December. I would like to remind all carriers once again that the system will be launched despite legal disputes and that it is not advisable to postpone registration. The carriers have only a few weeks left to obtain a new on-board unit without unnecessary stress and waiting in queues,” said Matej Okáli, CEO of CzechToll.

With regard to the expected surge of carriers at the turn of November and December, CzechToll, in cooperation with the operators of the points of sale, ensured the strengthening of personnel capacities in order to handle as many carriers as possible. However, he recommends carriers to register as soon as possible, pay the refundable deposit for the on-board unit and prepare its installation in the vehicle. The Czech Chamber of Commerce also provided maximum support for the registration process.

“Over 15 specialized workplaces of the Chamber of Commerce have so far registered XY vehicles. The carriers will not only get all the information from our employees, but they can also buy installation kits for fixed attachment of the on-board unit in the vehicle. A great benefit is the possibility to book a specific time of visit and thus avoid any waiting,” added Vladimír Dlouhý, President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce.

Vehicle registration is possible at more than 200 points of sale, at 15 selected branches of the Chamber of Commerce, through the issuers of fuel card or on-line at www.mytocz.eu. In case of on-line registration, the carrier will receive a new on-board unit by post upon payment of the refundable deposit (free shipping applies to shipments within the Czech Republic, to Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia).

The carriers can find complete information on the new toll system on the www.mytocz.eu

The government has approved a new National Space Plan

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 16:54:02 GMT

The National Space Plan 2020 is a strategy of the Czech Republic for the development of capacities and capabilities of its industry and academic sphere in the field of space activities. The aim is to ensure competitiveness and maximize the return of public investment in space activities and related areas.

For these purposes we managed to allocate another CZK 275 mil. per year to strengthen the Czech Republic's participation in programmes of the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA programmes are the main instrument for the development of the Czech space industry and scientific excellence in space science.

The main objectives of the National Space Plan 2020 are:

1) Building Czech space capacities and capacities to increase excellence and competitiveness. We want to continue to create suitable environment that has helped Czech companies and the academic sphere keep up with current trends, be innovative, disruptive, excellent, create, protect and exploit intellectual property rights, and enhance cooperation between the academic sphere and industry while respecting their natural roles. We also want to create synergies between companies and between small and middle companies and large industry, maximize the return of investments, stimulate private investment in space activities, and stimulate and accelerate transfer of technology and knowledge. We emphasize the common use of satellite systems in everyday applications.

2) An active position in international relations should help increase the visibility of the Czech Republic. Strengthening bilateral cooperation with space powers, in particular from among European countries. The Czech Republic should try to help looking for generally acceptable solutions that would support international cooperation.

Space activities are all state, industrial and scientific activities that aim to exploit the possibilities and opportunities that the space offers. These include satellite navigation, satellite telecommunications, Earth observation, space transport (especially launchers), observation of the near surroundings of the Earth and space weather, robotic and manned space exploration, space science (all disciplines of space-based astronomical observations, microgravity research, effects of space environment) or applications and services related to the use of the collected data.

The Czech Republic implements most of its space activities through the European Space Agency (ESA), which it joined as a full member at the end of 2008. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the participation of Czech companies in space projects. Nowadays (2019), Czech companies are recognized members of international supply chains in the production of launchers, satellites and ground segments.
Without participation in ESA projects it is practically impossible to get into the supply chains of e.g. Airbus, Thales, OHB or other large companies.

In the period of 2008 – 2018 Czech companies and universities implemented 350 projects.

Since 2011, the Ministry of Transport has been responsible for space activities. It pays a vast majority of the Czech Republic's contributions to ESA and creates conditions for the development of space activities in the Czech Republic.

Winter measures on the D1: More rest areas for trucks, gritters and variable traffic signs

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 14:12:05 GMT

“Variable traffic signs that work with a combination of traffic and meteorological data should also contribute to traffic control. The Road and Motorway Directorate will install the signs on the territory of the Vysočina Region since December as a part of their pilot operation,” says Minister of Transport Vladimír Kremlík. The purpose of this measure is to regulate the traffic flow in time in order to ensure its continuity.

Since the last meeting in July, we have taken many concrete steps. There are reserves in the awareness of drivers, however, the Ministry of Transport of theCzech Republic and the Directorate of Roads and Motorways are working intensively to improve this. “We are trying to get ready for winter as much as possible and, using the experience from the interventions of all components of the integrated rescue system on the D1, to minimize the impacts of adverse weather affecting the operation of the motorway and the life of not only the inhabitants of our region,” Jiří Běhounek, President of the Vysočina Region, describes the content of the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Regional Road Administration and Maintenance and the integrated rescue system. Individual IRS units will be able to use new routes to exit the motorway in emergency situations. It will be possible to exit the motorway via rest areas or using service exits.

Transport ministers in Brussels addressed the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transport

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 11:59:11 GMT

“The Czech Republic is fully aware of the fact that transport is one of the main polluters of our planet. In the field of land transport, emphasis must be placed on supporting urban and suburban public transport systems. Greater use of rail transport depends on the decarbonisation of transport and the development of a multi-modal freight transport solution,” said Deputy Minister of Transport Tomáš Čoček. The ministers mentioned the topic of transport decarbonisation during the discussion with European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, Andrew McDowell. The Finnish Minister of Transport also reminded the European Council's call for a climate-neutral EU.

For aviation, the transport ministers addressed European and international emission reduction instruments. Sustainable aviation fuel is also an important measure. “Europe should focus on supporting further development of these instruments, in particular through funding in the field of science and research,” adds Tomáš Čoček. Maritime transport, which accounts for 80% of total international trade, was also discussed, and there is an endeavour to shift the movement of goods from land and rail transport to inland waterway transport even more.

Rules for flights between the Czech Republic and Russia agreed

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 15:08:59 GMT

The aviation authorities of the Czech Republic and the Russian Federation dealt with mutual relations in the field of air transport for the upcoming period in Prague today. Both parties agreed that, in accordance with the existing contractual framework, the capacity on the transport market of Zhukovsky Airport – Prague Airport may increase from the summer 2020 operation period.

At the same time, the possibility of using existing trans-Siberian overflight routes on the Prague – Seoul route for Czech air carriers will be permanently confirmed and expanded from the same operating period. Until then, the existing scope of operations will be maintained.

The preparation of the electronic vignette is under way. The Ministry is clear on how the checks will be carried out

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 12:21:56 GMT

“The new electronic vignette system will bring greater comfort to drivers. The vignette can be bought at any time in the e-shop, mobile application or also in a network of points of sale. For the state, the electronic vignette means an annual saving of up to CZK 100 million for printing, distributing or destroying vignettes. In addition, drivers will get rid of the inconvenience of sticking a paper vignette on the car's windshield and and then removing it,” said Minister Kremlík. The Ministry of Transport plans that the sales of the new electronic vignettes will start in December 2020.

Will there be any exceptions?

All vehicles with at least four wheels will have to buy an electronic vignette when using a toll road, while their maximum permitted weight must not exceed 3.5 tonnes. Vehicles powered by electricity, hydrogen or in combination with other fuels shall be exempt from the obligation to pay toll roads (if the CO2 value does not exceed 50 g/km) and also historic vehicles fitted with a special license plate and historic vehicle license. This also applies to vehicles carrying persons holding a ZTP or ZTP/P card and at the same time being the operators of those vehicles or persons close to the operator.

The same rules will continue to apply to vehicles operated by homes for persons with disabilities if they are used for the carriage of such persons and also to vehicles used for the carriage of dependent children who are being treated for cancer or haemoblastosis. The exemption also applies to organizations and public authorities defined in the law, e.g. the Police of the Czech Republic, Customs Administration, toll road administrators, integrated rescue system components, etc.

How the checks will be performed

“The Police of the Czech Republic and the Customs Administration will be responsible for checks on toll roads in road traffic by means of cameras placed in vehicles, or on a tripod next to the road or at toll gates. The cameras will scan the license plates of passing vehicles and this will make the supervision work much more effective,” explains Zbyněk Hořelica, Director of the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. The system will then immediately verify the validity of the electronic vignette in the database or determine whether the vehicle is exempt from payment. Control authorities will thus be able to respond flexibly to possible violations of the law, i.e. non-payment of the time-based charges.

The Ministry of Transport also expects to use toll gates that will not be used by CzechToll for its purposes in order to perform checks. The amendment to Act No. 13/1997 Coll., On Roads, expects to use control posts to increase the effectiveness of mobile control and also for statistical purposes, such as monitoring the rate of potential offences.

Funds from the sale of electronic vignettes will be the income of the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure and will continue to be used for repairs and to build new road constructions.

Sunday's ban on driving trucks will be extended, there will be exceptions

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 14:56:54 GMT

Truck driving on Sunday was an important item on the agenda. There is a consensus that the trucks will not be allowed on the roads until 10 p.m. on Sunday. However, trucks will be able to finish their journey within the Czech Republic or until the end of transport. This will put the Czech Republic in line with the neighbouring countries in the field of driving trucks on Sunday. Trucks passing through our territory is related to building rest areas. The plan is to open approximately 241 parking spaces for trucks this year, 119 parking spaces will be added in 2020, 233 parking spaces will be added in 2021 and 308 new parking spaces will be built in 2022. Currently, the motorway network lacks approximately 1,400 parking spaces for trucks.

“We are the only country that allows driving trucks on Sundays until 1 p.m. These ideas and suggestions will be the subject of negotiations between the government and the Chamber of Deputies, but we have agreed that this needs to be adjusted. It would not be possible to drive trucks since midnight on Sunday any more, they would be allowed to go again only after 10 p.m.,” said Andrej Babiš.

The next point was a ban on trucks' overtaking. The proposed option would not ban overtaking in general, but only on selected sections. Now the police and the Road and Motorway Directorate are waiting for possible solutions. They should be ready by the end of this week and then the selected sections will be fitted with traffic signs. The police have already tried to check the ban on overtaking in the winter months, and now these checks are planned to be introduced all year round.

Increased supervision by the police, especially in risk areas, was another topic of the meeting. Nowadays, there is one patrol for non-stop service and one daytime regime patrol at each highway police department. The goal is to add at least one daytime patrol in order to increase responsiveness of the police. New departments should also be created along with the development of the motorway network. Thanks to the development material of the Police of the Czech Republic, the number of traffic police officers is granted to be increased by several hundred.

The issue of control posts was also addressed. At the moment, approximately 44 control post have been selected on the border. There was also a consensus during the negotiations on the need to set up a large control post on the D1. This would allow the police and the Customs to carry out sufficient checks.

“We agreed to identify the most important sections. This post should also be on the most critical section near Humpolec,” added the Prime Minister.

As far as penalizing of offences is concerned, a large number of foreign drivers who commit a traffic offence currently travel on Czech roads. The fine is now enforced by the Customs Administration. The aim is to interconnect the databases of the Police of the Czech Republic and the Customs Administration, which will allow police officers to find out if the driver has any unpaid fines. If the driver fails to pay the fine, his license plate should be removed from his vehicle. Therefore, he will not be able to continue driving until he has paid the fine.

The transformation of the Road and Motorway Directorate into a more flexible organization has begun

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 11:22:11 GMT

“I want this change, supported by the Road and Motorway Directorate, to take place within a reasonable time frame and with as few legislative changes as possible. The necessary continuity must also be maintained, not only in relation to construction, but also to existing employees. The aim is to have an efficient highway construction and maintenance company that is competitive on the labour market,” says Transport Minister Vladimír Kremlík.

The forthcoming transformation should allow for a better adaptability of the “new” company to the changed situation in the area of available resources (national and European), especially as regards the use of financing from private sources and other private and public financial instruments, such as the upcoming National Development Fund. In the area of personnel, the change should give more space to managerial control of the organization and allow even more variability for remuneration of employees and recruitment of other experts. The Road and Motorway Directorate must be an attractive employer who will be a competitive choice over the construction and design companies it is supposed to supervise.

“Now the Ministry of Transport has to undergo a process whereby we assess the various possible options of the legal form of the newly formed entity and prepare a material about which we will inform the members of the government in the autumn,” Minister Kremlík describes the current stage of preparations.

The main reasons for changing the Road and Motorway Directorate are:

to ensure the interconnection of revenues and expenditures related to the management of a selected part of the transport infrastructure and to enable, through external sources, to optimize cash flow according to construction needs without a direct link to the state budget (other private sources, loans, etc.);

to ensure the possibility of contractual salaries for experts;

to ensure a standardized view of the company's financial performance (business corporation model with standardized reporting).

The aim of the initiated process is to find optimal organizational structures of the system of planning, financing, maintenance, renewal and construction of transport infrastructure which will make it possible to use the recommended and sustainable mix of financial resources economically, efficiently and effectively and to adapt their amount to the requirements for building new infrastructure. The transformed organization must be process-driven and project-oriented.

Two new things in transport: Carriers can get ready for a single ticket and an electronic vignette

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 11:25:04 GMT

Electronic Vignette

The approved video tolling system will be functioning from December 2020 and its implementation is planned for 2021. The user of a toll road with a vehicle up to 3.5 tons will be able to pay the fee not only at physical points of sale, but also through purchases in an e-shop (via PC, telephone, etc.). Therefore, drivers will not need to have any form of paper vignette in the car, everything will be in an electronic form, they will only receive a proof of purchase and they will carry this payment receipt with them.

As well as today, it will be possible to buy 10-day, monthly and annual vignettes.

The goal is to increase the comfort of drivers, electronic vignettes will prevent counterfeit and automated checks will ensure that drivers do not drive on motorways without paying the relevant fee. The money from vignettes goes back into repairs and new road constructions through the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure.

Single Tariff System

The full launch of the system and the involvement of all rail carriers is expected in December 2020, which is in line with the text of the draft Law on Railways discussed by the Chamber of Deputies today. However, the Ministry of Transport assumes that if the carriers are ready, pilot operation on selected routes may already start in the first half of 2020.

The single tariff system, using the trade name “OneTicket,” will offer tickets that allow passengers to choose from a number of carriers, easily use connections and travel across the country with a single ticket and under uniform tariff conditions. It will be a system which will allow flexible tickets to be sold between any two points of the Czech railway network, in addition to discount tickets (which will continue to exist).

During the first half of this year, contractual documents were finalized in cooperation with carriers and integrated transport systems, defining the rights and obligations of the entities involved regarding the distribution of tickets, the provision of transport and the settlement of mutual liabilities and receivables. At the same time, after consulting the carriers and their technical operators, the technical conditions for the functioning of the system were set.

The creation of a single ticket system is one of the programme priorities of the current government in the field of transport.

For more details, visit https://www.oneticket.cz/.

Agreement between the Czech Republic and Russia: All flights will be in operation during the summer

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 15:25:32 GMT

We do not want to block air traffic between the two countries during the main holiday season and reduce the comfort of passengers.

We are reacting to the press release from Tuesday, when we informed about a temporary disagreement between the aviation authorities of both parties, unilateral restriction of the right to fly over the Siberian part of the Russian Federation territory for Czech Airlines on the Prague – Seoul route and the subsequent reaction of the Czech side, which limited the flights of Russian airlines to the Czech Republic (see details in the press release from Tuesday).

Flights operated by Russian airlines permitted again; the Czech Republic and Russian want to agree

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 08:09:58 GMT

The situation has been currently discussed intensively both with the Russian side and with air carriers.

In the morning of 2 July 2019, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation permitted flights operated by České aerolinie, a.s. until 7 July 2019. Immediately afterwards, the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic commenced a reciprocal action against Russian air carriers. As a result, the flights will be permitted until 7 July 2019 too. Russian carriers' flights are being permitted on a continuous basis, therefore there should be no major traffic disruption.

In the interim, both sides will actively negotiate to reach an agreement. The Czech side does not intend to block the air traffic between the two countries, but it must defend legitimate interests of its air carriers.

In this connection, the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic regrets the inconvenience and complications experienced by passengers, which, however, was caused by the initial decision of the Russian side. The Czech side will aim to minimise the negative impacts on the passengers

A new section of the D3 motorway was opened and will stay free of charge until the end of the year

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 09:51:42 GMT

To be able to efficiently use this new motorway section, also a 1-km section from the adjacent D3 construction Ševětín – Borek had to be built. So a total of 9.1 km of a brand new motorway was opened today.

"I would like to thank ŘSD, the motorway administration organisation, the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI), building contractors and local self-governments for their cooperation, which resulted in the opening of this new motorway section," said the 1st deputy to the transport minister Tomáš Čoček. "The new motorway section will improve traffic safety and increase the travel speed. It will stay free of charge until the end of this year," he added.

The motorway section has 8.1 km. It includes four motorway bridges and one pedestrian underpass. The Bošilec – Ševětín section will be primarily used as the replacement of existing road I/3 that could no longer take the traffic loads. The new motorway section will bring higher convenience for drivers but also improve safety.

Another 30.5 km of the D3 motorway are still under construction even after the opening of the Bošilec – Ševětín section. This includes the České Budějovice bypass – section D3 0310/II Hodějovice-Třebonín with a length of 12.6 km and section 0310/I Úsilné-Hodějovice with 7.2 km. Another motorway between Ševětín and Borek is still under construction, so the one kilometre opened today was just the first part. Drivers should be able to start using this section in the spring of 2020.

When completed, the D3 will become the artery road between Prague and the South Bohemian Region and connect to the motorway network in Austria. Its length will be 170 km and it will cover the route Prague – České Budějovice – Austria. The whole D3 motorway will belong to the E55 European road coming from Scandinavia and crossing our territory towards Greece.

Together this this section, ŘSD has currently 247.1 km of motorways and category 1 roads under construction, of which motorways are 131.4 km. Besides the D3, the D35 motorway is another motorway where works are progressing most: 27 km of motorway are under construction at the moment. It is followed by D11 where 22 km are in progress. Modernisation of the D1 continues and there are construction sites on 51.9 km on this motorway. New category I road sections are 63.8 km at the moment. Check the current progress on the ŘSD interactive map.

Also freight trains shall use the high-speed rail line from Prague to Dresden

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 14:23:26 GMT

"We are supporting a shift from trucks onto the rail. I will appreciate if the new rail line between Prague and Dresden can be used for freight as well," said the Czech minister Vladimír Kremlík.

According to the Saxon minister Martin Dulig, a joint declaration of Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria about the connection of Vienna, Prague and Berlin with a high-speed rail line should be signed this autumn. This project shall connect the TEN-T Trans-European Transport Network of the North and the South.

Both ministers also discussed regional railway connections such as the extension of the rail line in the 5-km route between Rumburk and Seifhennersdorf that will connect to the existing railway link with Dolní Poustevny, Sebnitz and Děčín. Saxony is now preparing the feasibility study.

Allowing navigation on river Elbe was another big topic. The Saxon minister Dulig said that regular mud removal and cleaning of the Elbe river bottom is the priority that shall add more navigation days. Minister Kremlík said that he wants to submit a water transport concept to the Czech government that also contains a plan for the Děčín navigation section.

The Czech Technology Agency opened a new opportunity for transportation-related research

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 08:57:44 GMT

"The Ministry of Transport managed to prepare the DOPRAVA 2020+ programme in cooperation with the Czech Technology Agency that had been missing in the portfolio of national programmes supporting applied research. Through this programme we can now support research projects from the transportation industry for which there had been no compact financial instrument in the past. This will now boost the development in the entire sector." said Vladimír Kremlík, the transport minister.

The programme seeks to support applied research projects to further develop the transportation sector in terms of sustainability, safety and availability. Projects targeting smart traffic solutions, smart cities, transport space data and projects in automation, digitalisation and satellite navigation systems. The programme is relevant not only on the national level, but actually follows up current European objectives.

Research organisations, enterprises and other entities can design their projects and, if successful, investigate them on their own or in cooperation with other participants.

Project applications can be filed from 13 June until 13 August 2019. The subsequent evaluation period will end on 31 January, 2020. Public funding amounting to CZK 500 million was allocated to this first competition. The maximum amount of state support that can be allocated per project is CZK 50 million. The maximum support level is 80% of project costs. Project duration was defined between 12 and 48 months. These public competitions will be announced on an annual basis until 2023. Expected expenses of the programme for all public competitions, as scheduled, funded from the state budget for the defined period is CZK 1.95 billion.

"The DOPRAVA 2020+ programme is the key instrument for the future and development of the transportation field and reflects the needs of the whole society. The outcomes of the projects that will be supported will contribute to an acceleration of the technological development and the knowledge base of the Czech Republic and will boost its competitiveness", Petr Konvalinka, the TA ČR chairman, added.

Detailed information on the 1st public competition under the DOPRAVA 2020+ programme will be provided at an information seminar that will take place on 26 June at 10:30 in the TA ČR head office.

Ode dneška je možné podávat návrhy výzkumných projektů z oblastí životního prostředí a dopravy do 2 veřejných soutěži #programDOPRAVA2020+ a #programProstrediProZivot Více ℹ️ https://t.co/Cvwm9PKbEV pic.twitter.com/zkRm3w8qc2
— TACR (@TACR_cz) 13. června 2019

„Program DOPRAVA 2020+ je klíčovým nástrojem pro budoucnost a rozvoj dopravního sektoru s reflexí potřeb celé společnosti. Výsledky projektů, které budou v rámci něj podpořeny, přispějí k akceleraci technologického i znalostního rozvoje České republiky a k růstu její konkurenceschopnosti“, doplnil Petr Konvalinka, předseda TA ČR.

Podrobné informace k 1. veřejné soutěži Programu DOPRAVA 2020+ získají zájemci na informačním semináři, který se uskuteční 26. června 2019 od 10:30 hod v sídle TA ČR.

Electronic motorway coupons will start in 2021, SFDI committed

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 31 May 2019 10:09:31 GMT

"SFDI is committed to launch digital motorway coupons in 2021. The fund head Zbyněk Hořelica assured me today that would meet the deadline. We will eventually come closer to other European countries where drivers no longer place a physical sticker on their windshields," said minister Vladimír Kremlík right after the meeting.

The legal framework for the motorway coupons is provided by act 13/1997 Coll. on roads, the amendment of which currently needs to pass the second round in the parliament.

Besides motorway coupons, the transport minister made himself familiar with the organisational structure of the state fund and together with the fund head they were discussing the funding of category II and III roads and the budget for the next year.

"I want to bring as much funds as possible into transport infrastructure. The good news is that the continuation of the Operational Programme Transportation is ensured. And I will also seek to get more funding from the national budget," the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík added.

Minister Kremlík: In ship transport we need to eliminate bottlenecks on rivers

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 24 May 2019 11:56:47 GMT

"Today I saw the current work progress on the modernisation of the Vltava waterway in the Štvanice lock chamber that is the second most used lock chamber in Prague. The building contractors and ŘVC management assured me that the works proceed by the time schedule and the upgrade will be finished at the beginning of the next year" the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík said and added that ŘVC wants to have the navigation route extended to 556 km from 2023.

"I can gratefully confirm that minister Kremlík considers the construction of waterways as part of the transport network of the Czech Republic. We agreed that bottlenecks need to be eliminated. This primarily applies to the construction of the Děčín navigation section, extension of navigation on river Elbe to Pardubice and modernisation of the Vltava waterway between Prague and Mělník. The modernisation involves two lock chambers: the Hořín lock chamber and the lock chambers here on Štvanice," the head of the waterways organisation Lubomír Fojtů added.

The head of the transport sector was also discussing with the ŘVC management the waterways concept for the following years and the Danube – Odra – Elbe navigation corridor.“ I heard the opinions of the head, Lubomír Fojtů, on these topics. We are now working at the ministry on new materials that I will submit to the government for discussion until the end of this September," minister Kremlík added.

The transport minister welcomed at today's meeting that the waterways head office is also preparing projects for recreational navigation. They include for example the extension of navigation routes on the Baťa channel and construction of a basic docks network for small boats on river Elbe.

The V4 is making preparations for high-speed rail lines

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 21 May 2019 15:26:13 GMT

The transport minister Vladimír Kremlík supported the construction of high-speed rail lines and said we would sign a joint memorandum on behalf of the Czech Republic. "High-speed rail lines are the priority for me and the Czech Republic. The costs and benefits of a new connection between Warsaw, Katowice, Ostrava, Brno, Bratislava and Budapest will be verified in the feasibility study that will foresee European funds as well," the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík said after the meeting. The feasibility study will be assigned by the Hungarian side and will be based on past and current work in the other three countries.

The transport ministers also stated they were against cuts of road infrastructure funding in the next seven-year budget period of the European Union, i.e. for 2021-2027. "We will fight for keeping the funds at least on the current level", the Slovak transport minister Arpád Érsek said.

The Slovak minister also requests that European countries follow a joint procedure to accelerate collection of fines – unpaid motorways fees across borders. The EU regulation saying that data can be obtained from foreign car registries will be updated for this purpose. This is currently impossible, so the states are not able to get the essential data about the use of vehicles registered abroad.

Construction of first high-speed rail lines will start in 2025

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 13 May 2019 10:20:09 GMT

SŽDC said at today's meeting that negotiations are under way with Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF) regarding the preparation of high-speed rail lines in the Czech Republic. This partnership shall lead to the creation of a manual for SŽDC how to design high-speed rail lines and so reduce the preparation time by up to five years.

"Negotiations are now starting with the French side regarding the correct construction of tunnels, bridges and traction lines on high-speed rail lines following the example of TGV. And construction of the first high-speed rail lines should start in 2025," says the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík.

The transport minister was also interested in investments in repairs of railway station buildings. SŽDC will invest one billion crowns in them this year and one billion next year. Between 2017 and 2022 about CZK 8.4 billion will have been spent on these upgrades.

Pavol Kováčik becomes the new head of ŘSD and his job is to speed up construction projects

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 03 May 2019 10:20:25 GMT

"What I expect from the new general director are new impulses for more efficient work at ŘSD, very good planning of transport projects, correct setting of contracts and consequent supervision of compliance. Plus construction quality also matters a lot. Efficient and effective management and control mechanisms need to be put is place and a general transformation of ŘSD should also be considered," says the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík.

The new head Pavol Kováčik should also focus on emergencies, their handling and communication. "Drivers must have enough information in case of accidents or obstacles, so that they can immediately react to the situation. Faster clearing of accident sites needs to be discussed with the regions and the police as well," Vladimír Kremlík adds.

In his recent job of Pavol Kováčik was the chairman of the board of the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure SFDI, at the Ministry of Transport he was member of an expert team for the preparation of the PPP D4 project and in the past he was the head of investments at the National Motorways Company and chairman of the board of Utility Structures in Košice, Slovakia. He graduated from the University of Transport in Žilina, Slovakia, and from the University of Economics and Management Prague.

The transport minister thanked the departing head Jan Kroupa for his long-term work in the organisation. "I would like to thank the existing director for the 254 km of motorways and category I roads that are currently under construction. I appreciate his work and the stability of ŘSD and hope he stays working in our sector," the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík adds.

There are currently 140 km of motorways under construction as green field investments, another 52 km of the D1 motorway are being modernised and 63 km of new category I roads are under construction. While construction of the Budweis bypass and the D35 between Opatovice nad Labem and Časy is under way, works still need to be done on the ring road around Prague and start of the first PPP project on the D4. Preparations of the central-Bohemian part of D3 need to be accelerated as well.

The new transport minister Vladimír Kremlík took over office

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 16:50:50 GMT

Later in the afternoon minister Kremlík arrived in the ministry building together with prime minister Andrej Babiš. They were welcomed here by the departing minister Dan Ťok who gave the handover report to minister Kremlík where he summed up the current agenda at the Ministry of Transport. Minister Kremlík then met the different deputies and heads of organisations that report to ŘSD.

"The first thing I want to focus on is faster preparation and construction of core traffic infrastructure. An act on the acceleration of traffic infrastructure construction is currently in the law-making process and must be finalised," minister Kremlík said.

Vladimír Kremlík graduated from the Faculty of Law of Charles University. Before his appointment as head of sector, he had worked as a deputy for Legal service and assets management with the Office for Government Representation in Property Affairs.

On social media you can follow minister Kremlík on Facebook and Twitter.

Dnešek byl poněkud netypický 😉

Jmenování na @HradOfficial proběhlo v pohodové atmosféře 🇨🇿 a moje první tiskovka na @min_dopravy taky.

Už se těším na nové kolegy i kolegyně, jak se společně pustíme do práce 🙂

A Vás o tom v 280 znacích budu pravidelně informovat. pic.twitter.com/7MmsSrnOeM
— Vladimír Kremlík (@KremlikVladimir) 30. dubna 2019

Minister Ťok kick-started the construction of the second section of České Budějovice bypass

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 10:33:40 GMT

"I am happy that we are starting the construction of the second part of České Budějovice bypass within such a short period of time. The traffic situation for the residents of České Budějovice is far from easy and I believe that it will significantly improve after the bypass has been opened," says Dan Ťok.

The 20km bypass of České Budějovice is split in two building sections: construction of D3 0310/I Úsilné-Hodějovice with a length of 7.2 km (which is now starting) and D3 0310/II Hodějovice-Třebonín with a length of 12.6 km (construction started on 29 March). Construction of a tunnel that is almost 1 km long will be part of the Úsilné – Hodějovice section. Both bypass sections will be completed simultaneously.

On the D3 motorway sections D3 0309/I Bošilec-Ševětín with 8.1 km and scheduled opening in July 2019 and D3 0309/II Ševětín-Borek with 10.7 km are currently under construction. The D3 motorway is the longest piece of motorway under construction in the Czech Republic: almost 40 new km are being built.

Together with section Úsilné – Hodějovice, a total of 255 km of motorways and category I roads are under construction. Of this 140 km are on the green field, 52 km is the D2 modernisation and 63 km are category I roads. Check the current progress on the ŘSD interactive map.

GPS navigation will be newly available for drivers in Brno tunnels as well

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:37:42 GMT

During April the beacons will be installed to Pisárecký, Královopolský and Hlinky tunnel and covered roads Záhřebská and Voroněžská. One last tunnel – Husovický – will be equipped with Waze Beacons after its reconstruction is over (end of August 2019).

So far, the beacons are used by Waze drivers only, but the technology is open, free and available for other applications as well, including other commercially available navigation systems.

How does it work?

Waze Beacons are small plastic boxes glued to the tunnel walls every 40 meters. Each box contains a small Bluetooth module that transmits an identification code of each device and there is no need to connect to the device. During a drive through a tunnel, a smartphone detects present beacons and calculates the location inside the tunnel based on the strength of the signal. The Waze Beacon is operational as long as the built-in battery supplies power. The estimated lifespan of the beacons in Brno is up to 6 years.

Increased safety, better traffic flow

Not only brings the exact tunnel location better navigation to the users but it also increases safety. The Beacons enable Waze users to detect deviations from the standard traffic flow. Drivers can share warnings among each other when there is a hazard inside the tunnel such as a stalled car, object on the road or a pothole. More information can be shared once requested.

The European Commission approved another CZK 4 billion as a contribution to two another large-scale projects

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 13:32:11 GMT

We notified readers about the opening of the railway section Rokycany – Pilsen in December 2018. Travelling from Prague to Pilsen will be cut to one hour and 14 minutes thanks to this railway project that also involves the longest railway tunnel in the Czech Republic.

"Pilsen belongs to places that shall be reachable from Prague by train within one hour. And we can how closer to that again. Another objective is to improve our train connection with Germany thanks to a speed increase planned between Prague and Munich. The recent decision of the Federal Ministry of Transport about the re-classification of electrification and modernisation of the German part of this connection, which now belongs to top priorities in the Federal Transportation Routes Plan, will allow for this" said the transport minister Dan Ťok.

The Třinec bypass is another project that was supported. The 11-km section Nebory – Oldřichovice – Bystřice is part of the I/11 road and significantly relieved the inhabitants of Třinec and Vendryně. The bypass is also an important route connecting the Czech Republic with Slovakia and Poland.

Modern transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic with the support of EU funds

The transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic has been built and modernised with significant EU contributions. During the last eleven years more than 530 projects were supported from the Operational Programme Transportation and the total EU contribution since 2004 has exceeded CZK 180 billion.

The ministry will support research and innovations in the transportation sector with CZK 2 billion, applications can be filed from June on

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:25:23 GMT

Provided under four separate calls, two billion Czech crowns are waiting for applicants in the scheme. The first call will be announced in June 2019 and support per one project will reach up to CZK 50 million. The DOPRAVA 2020+ applied research, experimental development and innovations scheme in the transportation sector will be administered by the Technological Agency of the Czech Republic. Under this scheme, the ministry wants to support projects targeting sustainable and safe transportation, infrastructure, accessible and interoperable transportation and automation, digitalisation, navigation and satellite systems. The scheme will be implemented between 2020 and 2026, i.e. for seven years.

Vláda schválila 3 nové programy, které nabídnou státní podporu výzkumných projektů ve výši 15 mld. Kč.
🔹TREND - @mpo_tweetuje
🔹Prostředí pro život - MŽP
🔹DOPRAVA 2020+ - @min_dopravy
Poskytovatelem a realizátorem všech 3 bude TA ČR 🔜 https://t.co/pLUlpInHKh pic.twitter.com/SUGiJ0rmAR
— TACR (@TACR_cz) 27. března 2019

The D3 motorway will see the most advanced stage of progress, because almost 40 km will be under construction simultaneously

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:24:42 GMT

"On Friday, 29 Mach 2019, we are officially starting the construction of the České Budějovice bypass in section Hodějovice – Třebonín. Construction of the first part of the bypass from Úsilné will start this year still. This will turn the D3 motorway into the biggest motorway construction site in the Czech Republic and almost 40 km of the new motorway, of which eight will be opened this year, could be under construction at once," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

The 20km bypass of České Budějovice is split in two building sections: construction of D3 0310/I Úsilné-Hodějovice with a length of 7.2 km and D3 0310/II Hodějovice-Třebonín with a length of 12.6 km. Sections D3 0309/I Bošilec-Ševětín with 8.1 km and scheduled opening in July 2019 by the latest and a section D3 0309/II Ševětín-Borek with 10.7 km are currently under construction.

👷‍♂️⚒🏗Sezona dopravních staveb se začíná rozjíždět. Dnes jsme zahájili výstavbu nového úseku dálnice D3 mezi Hodějovicemi a Třebonínem. Celý úsek bude zároveň sloužit jako obchvat Českých Budějovic a výrazně tak ulehčí dopravě v jihočeské metropoli. pic.twitter.com/1xBAQ3YnEz
— Ministerstvo dopravy (@min_dopravy) 29. března 2019

Construction of another D35 section will start and D1 upgrades will continue

On Thursday 14 March construction of the D35 in section Opatovice nad Labem – Časy with a length of 12.6 km started. This section will follow up section Časy and Ostrov with 14.7 km that is currently under construction. Both motorway sections have 27.3 km and will be completed in 2022.

On Friday 8 March, workers will start with preparations for continued upgrades of the D1 motorway. Traffic restrictions will be situated in section 2 between Mirošovice on km 21 and Hvězdonice on km 29 and in section 7 between Soutice on km 56 and Loket on km 66. Repairs of remaining D1 sections (altogether 7 sections with an aggregate length of 71 km) should start this year still. With construction works being done during motorway operation, the entire motorway between Mirošovice and Brno shall be completed in 2021.

At the moment 187 km of motorways and category I roads are under construction, of which 107 km are a green-field motorway investment, 21 km are D1 sections and 59 km are upgrades of category I roads.
Another 178 km are prepared for construction in 2019. Most advanced sections are the Brno D1 motorway, the South-Bohemian D3, the Karlovy Vary D6, the Chomutov D7, the Hradec Králové D11 and the Frýdek-Místek bypass on D46 and D56, including the extension to the D48 and the Otrokovice bypass on D55.

You can check the current state of progress in the ŘSD interactive map and find information about the D1 modernisation at www.novad1.cz

CzechToll has successfully completed first tests of the new toll system and transportation companies can start registering in October

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 13:38:08 GMT

Tests of the digital geomodel stored in new on-board units were under way from mid January until 17 February 2019. The prototype vehicle for mobile control rode 5750 km on Czech roads during this period. A total of 2153 toll sections were used for verifying the correctness of the geomodel and functionality of the new on-board unit, representing 99.26% of all toll sections where toll will be be collected from 1 December 2019. The remaining toll sections are situated on roads that are under construction and were not accessible during the testing.

Production of new on-board units started as well. The units were developed and are made in the Czech Republic. Production of all the 450 000 on-board units will be finished until mid September 2019.

"Should I draw a parallel between the construction of the new toll system and a house, we have now completed the shell and core. Besides finishing all the different components of the whole project, we are facing a major task: convincing transportation companies to devote some time in October and November to essential changes to their contracts and replace their on-board units. It will primarily depend on the transportation businesses whether they want to see the long queues at the borders and fuel stations again, as we remember them from the beginning of 2007 when the toll system was launched," said Matej Okáli, CzechToll CEO.

CzechToll also introduced their mobile control prototype vehicle in front of the building of the Ministry of Transport today. CzechToll will hand over forty new vehicles for toll collection control as part of its supply of the toll collection system in the last quarter of 2019.

At first glance, these Volkswagen Transporter vehicles will be similar to those used by the Customs administrations when checking the toll collection today. These current vehicles have however reached the end of their service life. The new vehicles will house cutting-edge technologies that will help the state better control whether transportation companies meet their toll obligations.

"Unlike in the prototype, the new vehicles we are going to supply to the Customs administration will be also equipped with a safe and a screen for the second passenger sitting in the front seat and the inner layout will be different as well. At this moment, the testing and fine-tuning of all systems and equipment inside the car, so that they work seamlessly, is the priority for us" Matej Okáli added.

Contacts for more information:
Miroslav Beneš
CzechToll speaker
M +420 603 174 347
miroslav.benes@czechtoll.cz

The European Space Agency will be based in Prague

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 15:59:44 GMT

"It is significant news for the Czech Republic that decision-making about the development of EU satellite systems will be based in Prague. Experts in navigation, Earth observation and telecommunications from whole Europe will be meeting in Prague. This is an opportunity for Czech businesses that can meet these European entities and seek contacts and cooperation. It simply makes sense to sit by the source of information and decision-making", said the transport minister Dan Ťok.

Controlled from Prague will be not only the market development for Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation systems but also the Copernicus Earth observation programme and the GOVSATCOM telecommunications system. The agency will be also responsible for safety certification of the entire programme. This is of key importance for the reliability of EU satellite services, particularly at a time of cyber threats. The agency shall be also involved in innovation schemes.

This means that the Czech Republic has a unique chance of gaining importance in technologies and applications with high added value. Besides close contact with GSA, it is the programmes of ESA, that prepares satellites for the EU, that are the instruments for this development.

Satellite systems are used in everyday life: mobile phone navigation, synchronisation of banking and power grids, weather forecast and online news from the whole world have become a matter of fact thanks to satellite services. Satellite navigation and Earth observation are also widely used in many fields such as transportation, logistics, agriculture, management of natural resources, environmental monitoring, smart cities and many others. Different autonomous systems will also depend on satellite services. The significance of these systems has been growing fast.

It has been a long-term objective to boost the role of GSA and the Ministry of Transport has devoted seven years to this activity. Given the complexity and challenge of the negotiation process (mostly during the last eight months), cooperation between many sectors was essential. These sectors involved the Government Department, the National Cyber and Information Security Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Czech Statistical Office and the government agent for cooperation with GSA who was leading the negotiations about the GSA head office in Prague.

The most frequent traffic offences in 2018: Speeding, seat belt not fastened, use of mobile phone

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 12:19:01 GMT

Speeding was the most frequent traffic offence in 2018. The speed limit exceeded in municipalities by less than 20 km/h but also by more than 5 km/h. One third of all drivers who received penalty points committed this offence. That is 130 000 cases.

The second most frequent office last year was the failure to wear the seat belt or protective helmet. The police penalised this in 17% of the cases, i.e. 66 000 offences.

The third most frequent offence was the holding of the mobile phone or another voice or recording device while driving. This was the case in 13% of all offences – that is 51 000 cases.

The fourth offence was speeding – 20 km/h and more in a municipality and more than 10 km/h but less than 30 km/h outside municipalities, which was the fifth most frequent offence. What follows is non-respecting the right of way, major speeding, failure to stop at red light or at the "Stop" sign, use of alcohol or drugs and driving without driving licence.

Most drivers have two or three penalty points

There were 480 000 drivers in the central drivers registry as of 31 December 2018 who had committed a traffic offence or criminal act subject to penalty points. Such a driver therefore has at least one penalty point. This corresponds to seven percent of all registered drivers (6.8 million), so every 14th driver has a penalty point.

Almost 40 000 drivers, i.e. over eight percent of all penalised drivers, have twelve points. Most of them have two points (170 000 drivers), followed by a group with three points (107 000 drivers). Men aged 44 and women aged 43 are the biggest group of penalised drivers.

The Ministry of Transport sent a proposal to the remarks proceedings in February to amend the points system as part of a road act amendment. The aim is to simplify the system to three sets of points, set fixed on-the-spot fines and respond to the most frequent offences. The amendment will not bring stricter penalties – on the contrary, the Ministry of Transport wants to reduce penalties for minor offences.

The government supported the introduction of electronic motorway coupons, the price will not go up

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 15:55:38 GMT

"The driver registers the licence plate of the car in an internet system or mobile app and makes the payment. This means that he/she does not have to stick anything to the windshield any longer. It shall be also possible to pay the fee in selected sales points where drivers are currently buying motorway coupons. This will save us up to 100 million CZK for printing and distributing the coupons," adds the transport minister Dan Ťok.

From 2021 drivers of cars up to 3.5t can choose between an on-line payment or purchase in a sales point. But printed coupons will not be available any more. The driver will register the licence plate in an on-line shop and pay the fee and that's it. Like today, it will be possible to buy ten-day, monthly and yearly coupons. The change in the payment method of the time-based motorway coupon will not increase the price, so the same rates CZK 310, 440 and 1500 are foreseen. The government decided to keep the upper price limit of the motorway coupon.

The customs service and the police will continue checking whether the motorway toll has been paid. They will use fixed or mobile cameras. Payments will be registered in an information system of the The State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. Videotolling has been already in use in Slovakia, Austria and Hungary, and Germany is planning its introduction soon.

Austria will help the Czech Republic with the launch of electronic motorway coupons

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 14:38:27 GMT

"Like in Austria or Slovakia, the licence plate will be registered in an online shop, the motorway toll paid there and you can go. Several fixed or mobile cameras will provide system control. Experts from Asfinag will give advice what to pay attention to when preparing and launching the system," said Dan Ťok after the meeting.

The Austrian minister Norbert Hofer said that demand for electronic motorway coupons has been growing steadily in Austria, even when two thirds of drivers still use the traditional coupon because the system still allows this. The Czech model shall however use only digital coupons from 2021. The launch of the so-called videotolling will reduce annual costs by CZK 100 million. In 2017 the cost of printing and distribution of coupons reached CZK 314 million.

Both ministers were also talking about the modernisation of cross-border railway lines, a faster connection between Prague and Linz and preparation of contracts about the connection of the South-Bohemian D3 with the Austrian S10. They also discussed the construction of the border bridge between D52 by Mikulov and the A5 via the Včelínek/Niklasgraben creek.

The Austrian minister Hofer agreed with minister Ťok about the need for simplification and shortening of permission and approval proceedings for construction projects. The duration of all processes is up to 25 years in Austria as well. When building motorways, both countries are also facing such issues as sudden discovery of highly protected animal species and a sophisticated and lengthy environmental impact assessment process.

The study on the Danube-Oder-Elbe water channel is now public

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 08:58:20 GMT

"According to the economic assessment, further planning of the water canal connecting rivers Danube and Odra makes sense. The Central Commission of the Ministry of Transport proposed to disregard the Elbe branch of the corridor due to very high construction costs of long navigation tunnels. I will recommend continuing with the preparation of the Danube-Odra part of the water canal project with expected costs of CZK 283 billion," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

Different variants of the water canal, including the combination of only some branches, were assessed in the study. The results confirmed that the project variant that includes the Elbe branch is risky. The Central Commission of the Ministry of Transport therefore recommended planning the Danube-Odra branch, negotiate the border crossing with Poland and Slovakia and do SEA together with these two partner countries.

The government will decide about the next steps in the preparation of this water canal and can approve the recommendation of the Central Commission of the Ministry of Transport, i.e. dropping the Elbe branch and continuing with the Danube-Odra branch on the Czech territory.

The Ministry of Transport assigned the feasibility study for the Danube-Odra-Labe water corridor to check the economic effectiveness of this prospective new water route in terms of transportation, water management, energy and recreational function. The study was prepared in line with government decision of January 19, 2011 that inputs shall be prepared for a water canal assessment and for the decision whether the canal shall be kept it or removed from landscape protection. Work on the study started in July 2016 and the final wording of the document was approved by the Central Commission in December 2018.

You can download the study using the link below. Due to a limited number of downloads, we are adding two more links where the study can be downloaded. Please note that the study has about 5 GB.

www.uschovna.cz/zasilka/JJCYJRA523D7ZP62-L23

Planning of the high-speed rail line to Dresden enters a new phase

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 15:43:06 GMT

"The new high-speed rail line to Dresden is among our priority connections. When completed, the travel time from Prague to Dresden will be reduced to one hour and a portion of trains will be diverted from the current Elbe valley route that is stretched to its limits", says the transport minister Dan Ťok. Part of the new high-speed rail line is also a 26km-long tunnel under the Krušné hory mountains. The Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration SŽDC is currently negotiating its technical parameters with Deutsche Bahn (DB NETZ).

The transport ministers also talked about the construction of a new 4km-long cross-border tunnel between Rumburk and Seifhennersdorf which would extend the existing railway connection Děčín – Sebnitz – Dolní Poustevna – Rumburk and connect it to the Varnsdorf – Zittau – Hrádek nad Nisou – Liberec route.

The road connection between Lobendava and Neustadt, a project which both Saxony and the Ústí nad Labem region are seeking, was another topic. The Saxon representatives said at the meeting that they would calculate the economic cost of this project which would make travelling easier. The so-called "Dresden route" is a cross-border tourist path and is closed for cars.

This year 47 km of new motorways and category I roads will open, works will start on another 178 km

Odbor komunikace — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 14:07:48 GMT

"You will find most construction sites on the Brno D1 motorway, the South Bohemian D3, the Karlovy Vary D6, the Olomouc D35, the Chomutov D7, the Hradec Králové D11 and the entire D48 including the bypass of Frýdek-Místek and connection to D56 and the bypass of Otrokovice on the D55. This means that 187 km of motorways and category I roads are under construction at the moment," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

A total of 128 km of new motorways are under construction, of which 21 is the modernisation of the D1. Also, 59 km are upgrades on category I roads. In 2018 a total of 45 km of roads opened – of this 26 km of motorways were re-built between Prague and Brno, 4 km were built on the D7 and 15 km on category I roads.

"I cannot open dozens of new motorway kilometres on the green field when nobody started any works before 2014, because preparation works were completely stopped in 2010. Today, new motorways and bypasses are built so quickly that construction companies cannot offer any further capacity," the minister adds. The standard construction period is between two and three years and four years for more challenging projects.

You can see the map of current motorway and category I road construction projects at www.mdcr.cz/mapa.

Motorway and category I road construction in numbers

In 2019 a total of 178 of roads are ready for construction

50 km of this is the D1 modernisation (i.e. construction of a new motorway in the same route)
80 km of this are new motorways
48 m of this are new roads

In 2019 a total of 47 km of roads will open to drivers

0 of this is the D1 modernisation
22.4 km of this are new motorways
25 km of this are new roads

In 2018 work on 90 km of motorways and roads started

21 of this is the D1 modernisation
53 km of this are new motorways
16 km of this are new roads

In 2018 a total of 45 km of roads were opened

26 of this is the D1 modernisation
4 km of this are new motorways
15 km of this are new roads

Currently 187 km of new motorways and category I roads are under construction

128 km of this are motorways sections
21 km of this is the D1 modernisation
59 km of this are new category I roads

The Czech railway will be more competitive – the Ministry signed a memorandum with Shift2Rail

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 10:11:24 GMT

The mission of the Shift2Rail national platform, an expert and consultancy body of the Ministry of Transport for railway research and development, is to support the participation of the Czech Republic in European schemes and engage regional entities in research activities. "This new cooperation shall lead to the identification of joint priorities and potential interaction through information exchange and participation in events organised for the promotion of railway industry stakeholders and for more profit from European programmes", says the CEO of Shift2Rail Carlo Borghini.

But this cooperation will bring even more added value: the engagement of SMEs and regional industry. "Also Czech suppliers making and introducing the most state-of-the-art technologies in railway transportation will get a chance thanks to new European projects. Construction of high-speed rail lines lies ahead and it is in this field where the safety and technology standards are the highest. Investments will be however made also in the existing railway network. The memorandum will help fullfil the great potential of Czech railways," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

Shift2Rail is a platform seeking research and innovations in the railway industry. It accelerates integration of new and advanced technologies into innovative solutions for railway products. On top of that, Shift2Rail supports the competitiveness of European railways and satisfies the changing transportations needs of the EU.

Work on the D35 extension started, another 27 motorway km will open simultaneously in four years

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 13:09:23 GMT

"On this key motorway we are starting with the construction of a section which has almost 15 km and will open the motorway after 44 months. In the spring of 2019 construction of 12.6 km will start as well and we want to open both sections in 2022. The extension to the D35 will take heavy traffic away from road I/35 between Holice and Zámrsk and relief adjacent towns and municipalities. When completed, this motorway should then divert a portion of traffic from the D1 which has been stretched to its limits," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok.

Before the completion of this 27km section, RSD shall gradually start work on several other places on the D35. From 2021 construction on sections Ostrov – Vysoké Mýto, Vysoké Mýto – Džbánov, Džbánov – Litomyšl, Litomyšl – Janov and Janov – Opatovec with a total length of 55 km will gradually start. The whole D35 shall connect Jičín, Hradec Králové, Olomouc and Lipník nad Bečvou and with a total length of more than 200 km it will the second longest motorway in the Czech Republic. D35 is also part of the European TEN-T corridors in its entire length.

At the moment 194 km of new motorways and category 1 roads, mostly city bypasses, are under construction. New motorway sections constitute 133 km, of which 21 km is the D1 where construction works are under way during motorway operation. You can find more details on the different projects on our interactive map.

Začaly práce na pokračování dálnice D35 v úšeku Časy-Ostrov, řidičům se za čtyři roky otevře najednou 27 kilometrů dálnice. https://t.co/F66AI6Z88U pic.twitter.com/sGnuSbOKr8
— Ministerstvo dopravy (@min_dopravy) 4. prosince 2018

Project details

Main route:
length 14 700 m

category: D 25.5/120
road surface: 323 000 sqm
number of civil structures: 155

Contractor: Eurovia, Metrostav, Swietelsky

Project price according to the contract: CZK 3 232 mil. excl. VAT

Construction period: 44 months until opening

Ministers of transport agreed in Brussels on a mobility package compromise

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 09:38:13 GMT

"It was essential for the Czech Republic that the directive concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services does not apply to bilateral transport. Regarding the so-called cabotage (i.e. operating transport services within another member state), the existing regime will be preserved, allowing three operations within seven days. On the other hand, a period of five days for breaks between cabotage was laid down," says minister Ťok who attended the meeting of transport ministers of the EU states.

The rules will also allows drivers spend two subsequent weekly rest times in their truck cabin, but they must spend their regular weekly rest hours outside the vehicle. Driver's work must be organised by the transport company in a way that the driver can return home every three or four weeks. Until the end of 2024 all vehicles in which international transport and cabotage is operated must be equipped with second-generation tachographs.

The compromise will be further negotiated in trialogues with the European Commission and the European Parliament. Long disputes had taken place about the so-called mobility package in the past. Countries such as France, Belgium and Germany decided to protect themselves against cheaper competitors from central and east European countries and were not interesting in any dialogue. Any efforts by central and east European countries, which were offering a number of concessions during the negotiations, had been permanently blocked.

The ministers were also discussing in Brussels the directive regarding the end of the seasonal time change. Like in October in Graz, the majority of member states agreed that a detailed analysis and an impact assessment should be provided for the named proposal on the European level.

By the end of the year 204 km of roads will be under construction, in 2019 another 172 km.

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 10:32:26 GMT

"We brought momentum to the construction of roads and the entire capacity of building companies is now almost exhausted. On Tuesday 4 December we will start with the construction of the D35 motorway in section Časy – Ostrov still and want to start with the D3 in Hodějovice – Třebonín until the end of the year as well, so we will add another 27 km, which means that 204 km of new roads will be under construction by the end of 2018," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok.

By the end of this year 45.5 km of roads will have been opened, of which 30 km are motorways and 15.5 km are category 1 roads. For 2019 RSD has another 172 km of new motorways and category 1 roads ready for construction and the biggest projects are the D1, D3, D7, D35 plus D46, D48 and D49. Construction of the bypasses of Znojmo, Krnov, Kravaře, Karviná, Nová Paka, Církvice and Olbramovice will start.

"In 2019 an 8km section of the D3 Bošilec – Ševětín and by the end of the year another 14km section between Přerov and Lipník on the D1 shall be open for drivers. When counting category I roads as well, we will get 46 km of new roads," says the RSD CEO Jan Kroupa.

Drivers will encounter most building machines on the D1 motorway between Prague and Brno on up to seven construction sites in 2019, so that the entire D1 has been overhauled by 2021. 90 km of the motorway have been completed and the length of the remaining sections is 70 km. On top of this, intensive work will continue on the motorway by Prague and Brno.

All motorway and category 1 road sections that the RSD is planning to build or repair can be found on the RSD website on an interactive amp. Find more about the D1 modernisation at www.novad1.cz. Drivers can call the free number +420 800 280 281 and get current information on traffic restrictions. The RSD assistance service can be also called using this number. Traffic information is available at www.dopravniinfo.cz.

More and more drones flying over our heads

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 14:04:07 GMT

Pilotless planes have a big potential in many industries such as aerial photography, infrastructure inspections, security, search for people, building security, agriculture, telecommunications, the film industry and transportation of parcels and medical materials. These machines keep on improving, constantly receive new features and become cheaper to buy. In the future they may even transport people. "Drones have a huge potential and can bring substantial innovation to transportation. The use of drones by the police, customs administration and fire brigade is a separate chapter. Clear rules must be defined and regulation must apply in the future, so that drones do not threaten the air traffic and citizens," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok.

The Smart Sky concept defines the essential pillars for this: use of traditional know-how in the aviation industry, university research and development, international collaboration, creation of infrastructure and well-functioning state administration and regulation. "We want to ensure that drones can operate in a safe way up to the level of autonomous flying and want to support the development of all related services. On the Czech territory we also want to establish testing space for drones which follows local trends in Europe and the world," minister Ťok lists more concept objectives. The Smart Sky concept is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic, Czech Technical University and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Alliance (UAVA).

Air space digitalisation, involving certain security features, a high level of automation and simplicity in use, will be the tool to achieve this objective. The unmanned vehicles strategy also brings more awareness campaigns in this area where commercial flights without a permit, flying over people, buildings and roads without a permit and better control and enforcement of the rules in practice are the most frequent offences.

These steps are taken in line with new European legislation that shall be passed at the turn of 2018 and 2019. Its objective is to create a more efficient and flexible regime that will unify the rules for unmanned vehicles across the EU. It will introduce three basic operation categories and reference to the so-called UTM/U-Space, i.e. services and infrastructure for the control and monitoring of drones in air space. The new legislation shall also, among other things, establish a national registry for all drones heavier than 250 g and their operator.

Four companies were short-listed for the competition dialogue for the operation of the D4 motorway

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 10:06:35 GMT

"By the beginning of 2019 we are planning to open the competition dialogue where companies from France, an Austrian-German consortium, a German-Spanish-British association of companies and an Austrian-Australian-Spanish-French consortium will compete. The winning consortium shall start building another 32 km of the D4 motorway and operate them for 25 years after construction completion," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok.

Seven requests for participation were filed. The Ministry of Transport assessed whether all seven applications meet the tender terms and which bidders best meet the technical qualification criteria. The commission then stated that all bidders met the tender terms and recommended – in accordance with the tender terms – limiting their number to four for subsequent negotiations in the so-called competition dialogue.

After this, contractual documentation will be finalised and provided to the bidders as input for their participation in the competition dialogue. The ministry plans to send the call for participation in the competition dialogue by the beginning of next year unless one of the losing consortia raises objections to the limitation of the number of bidders.

"The development preparations for the D4 extension continue, last pieces of land are being purchased and rental agreement and liens prepared. The Ministry of the Environment has also completed the EIA process and a positive binding statement was issued for the entire remaining D4 section," adds minister Ťok.

Up to CZK 11.5 billion will be provided from the EIB loan for the modernisation of railway hubs

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 14:51:47 GMT

"By using the EIB loan, we are preparing ourselves for the future funding of transport infrastructure. European funds, from which most biggest transportation projects have been paid, will decline in the future. By taking this loan, we will also gain experience with other possible funding methods. And that experience will come useful in the future," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok.

The aim was to get the consent of the government on the acceptance of a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) up to a maximum amount of CZK 11.5 billion. The money shall be used for the upgrade of selected railway corridors which belonged to the "Elimination of Selected Bottlenecks on Designated Corridors of the Main Network in the Czech Republic" project submitted to the so-called Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) blending call.

This "blending" means that projects are funded by combining subsidies, the EIB loan and money from the national budget. It is the result of efforts of the European Commission to seek innovative funding models for transport infrastructure. Put simply, the European Commission provides subsidies to motivate us to take loans for accelerated funding transport infrastructure.

The European Investment Bank is an international financial institution which shall primarily support development schemes in EU member states. Therefore, it provides better interest rates than other market alternatives. The Ministry of Finance will enter into the individual loan agreements and decide whether they are profitable. The same ministry will also guarantee Czech Republic's ability to repay the loans.

The Czech Republic will host the PIARC World Road Congress after 52 years again

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 11:22:12 GMT

"Hosting the World Road Congress is great success and a matter of high prestige for the Czech Republic. Traffic experts from all over the world will come to meet in Prague. This will be an excellent opportunity to present the Czech Republic as a country which has dramatically changed since the 1970s and can rightfully claim a place among modern European states," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok.

Prague got 122, Sydney 66 and Kuala Lumpur 32 votes in a secret vote about the congress venue. The Czech capital won primarily thanks to its corresponding professional care available for road experts. Another important factor which influenced the vote by the member states is the convenient geographical location of Prague in the heart of Europe. Thanks to our location, we are well connected with other world regions and are easy to reach.

[#PIARCWRC2023] the Czech Republic will host the 27th World Road Congress! PIARC congratulates all the candidates (#Australia, #CzechRepublic and #Malaysia). See you in Abu Dhabi 2019 (#PIARCWRC2019), Calgary 2022 (#PIARCIWRC2022) and at all PIARC events in the meantime! pic.twitter.com/4ENUW5U8JT
— WorldRoadAssociation (@PIARC_Roads) 25. října 2018

PIARC is an international non-profit and non-political association devoted to international cooperation in road traffic and road infrastructure. The Czech Republic is a member of this association. The World Road Congress has been organised since 1909. The last one took place in Soul in 2015 and the 2019 venue is the United Arab Emirates.

The D11 and D35 motorways by Hradec Králové and D48 by Frýdek-Místek will be free of charge

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 12:57:21 GMT

"In 2018 we decided to accommodate the requirements of the Hradec Králové Region and the Ministry of the Environment to exempt parts of the motorway from paid sections, because they are bypass roads. To be specific, these are Frýdek-Místek – Dobrá on D48, Sedlice – Kukleny on D11 and Sedlice – Opatovice on D35. Starting next year, this will add another 13 km to the existing 186 km where drivers pay nothing," said the transport minister Dan Ťok.

The Hradec Králové Region and the City of Hradec Králové argued in their main remark that the sections of motorways D11 and D35 are actually the south-west city bypass and are heavily used by local traffic as well. "These motorway sections are a suitable route for long-distance transit as well. Specifically, I mean the direction from Náchod and Trutnov (access to Hradce Králové on road I/33), from Jičín (access to Hradce Králové on road I/35) and from Nový Bydžov (on road II/324) for drivers who continue to Pardubice (on road I/37) and the other way round. In the current state, these vehicles transiting without the motorway sticker and subject to this fee must use roads in the city of Hradec Králové (I/35, I/31 and I/37) and/or road II/324 on the municipal land of Opatovice nad Labem," the city and region remarked.

The Ministry of the Environment requested in their remark to exempt a part of the D48 in section Frýdek-Místek – Dobrá from paid motorways. "The reason why we argue this way is very poor air quality in municipality Dobrá arising from heavy traffic on road II/648 (which passes through the city centre), because drivers are avoiding the paid section of the D48 motorway by taking road II/648 instead," the ministry said.

Since the start of 2018, no sticker has been required on the D3 around Veselí nad Lužnicí, the D6 between Cheb and Karlovy Vary, the D55 around Otrokovice, the D52 near Pohořelice or part of the D46 motorway near Hněvotín thanks to the free use of the Olomouc bypass on the D35 motorway.

In the past, sections of the D1 around Brno, the D3 motorway around Tábor, the D6 near Cheb and the D10 around Mladá Boleslav were exempt from charges. In the next round, the ministry enabled free-of-charge access to Prague for the inhabitants of surrounding municipalities near Prague, i.e. sections on the D6, D7, D10 and D11.

Sales of motorway stickers have been growing
"These changes did not show in the sales of motorway stickers – on the contrary, their sales have been rising every year. Last year CZK 5.027 billion were collected, which is CZK 268 million more than in 2016 and 561 million more than in 2015," says minister Ťok. In 2014, when no section was excluded from the fees, a total of 5.446 million motorway stickers were sold and in 2016 it was almost 841 000 more. And in 2017 the figures grew by another 343 000 stickers. Sales were growing in 2018 as well.

The sales of one-year motorway coupons for 2019 for weight category up to 3.5 tonnes will start no later than on December 1. Coupons with a validity period of one month or ten days will be available for sale with the arrival of the new year. Coupon prices for 2019 remain the same as this year. The one-year coupon for 2019 is valid from December 1, 2018 to January 31, 2020, and its price is CZK 1,500. The price of the one-month coupon is CZK 440 and the price of the 10-day coupon is CZK 310. New motorway stickers will again be provided with security features due to their increased counterfeit protection.

The study confirmed water corridor Danube – Odra – Elbe stands a chance

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 09:54:18 GMT

"The results of the economic assessment showed that opening a connection between Danube and Odra for navigation brings most benefits. The Elbe branch of the corridor reduces the effectiveness of the whole project due to very high investment costs of long navigation tunnels. The total investment costs of the project in the variant where all three rivers are connected amount to CZK 582 billion. In the variant connecting Danube with Odra the costs were estimated at CZK 281 billion," minister Dan Ťok describes the outcome of the feasibility study.

Different variants of the water corridor, including the combination of only some branches, were assessed in the study. The project containing all three branches shows a positive economic effectiveness slightly above the limit set out by the effectiveness assessment methodology. The Risk Analysis showed that more project benefits would be complicated due to limited transportation capacity that would entail additional investment costs. The results confirmed that the project variant including the Elbe branch is risky. A connection between Danube and Odra got a much better mark.

The study says that the construction of the water corridor is closely connected with projects which shall improve navigation on connecting rivers, i.e. Elbe, Odra and/or Váh. The study assumes that a certain level of navigation will be achieved, which is not the case at the moment. This will lead to investment costs of the provision of corresponding navigation class in these river sections, which the study does not foresee. An independent economic assessment and separate projects in Poland and Slovakia must be prepared for these connecting projects.

The members of the Monitoring Committee, counting the representatives of different ministries, universities, regions, stakeholders and international representation of Slovakia and Poland, have been discussing the results of the study and economic assessment. The Central Commission of the Ministry of Transportation will also assess the material and the documents will be subject to a peer review across departments as well. Then the study will be submitted to the government for approval. The next steps, also including the EIA, will follow the government negotiations.

The Ministry of Transport assigned the feasibility study for the Danube-Odra-Labe water corridor to check the economic effectiveness of this prospective new water route in terms of transportation, water management, energy and recreational function. The study was prepared in line with government decision of January 19, 2011 that inputs shall be prepared for a water corridor assessment and for the decision whether the corridor shall be kept it or removed from landscape protection. Work on the study commenced in July 2016.

The government decided 86.3 billion will be invested in the construction of motorways and railways

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 08:51:03 GMT

"The budget for the next year will ensure that the construction of new motorways and railways can continue. A total of CZK 65.5 billion will come from national resources and CZK 20.8 from European funds. Together with the finance minister, we will look for the four billion during the first quarter of the next year in unspent expenses and the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure budget for category II and III roads," said the transport minister Dan Ťok after the government negotiations. The government provided additional CZK 15 billion for repairs of roads and bridges during the last four years.

The budget will make it possible to continue with the construction of 185 km of motorways and category I roads but also start new transportation projects. At the beginning of December construction of the 14.7km continuation of the D35 motorway in section Časy – Ostrov can start. Next year another 12.6 km of the D35 in section Opatovice nad Labem – Časy will follow. Construction of the bypass of Budweis on the D3, which involves two sections with a length of almost 20 km, can soon continue. And also the construction of the 22.6 km of two sections of the D11 extension from Hradec Králové via Smiřice to Jaroměř will continue. And last but not least, modernisation of the D1 on seven sections in a total length of 70 km will continue.

Reconstruction of the Negrelli viaduct in Prague will continue next year as well. Modernisation of the tracks from Prague towards Kladno, with a branch-off to the Václav Havel Airport, will follow this reconstruction. Modernisation of the rail line between the Prague Main Railway Station and Hostivař is also under way. Work will also continue on another section of the Fourth Transit Corridor from Prague to Budweis. Modernisation of the Sudoměřice – Votice track will bring a second track in this section, two tunnels and a new station Červený Újezd. The train speed will to up to 160 km/h, which will cut the travel time for express trains between Prague and Tábor to one hour. Construction works are expected to be completed in 2021.

Construction of 177 km of motorways is under way and dozens of more km are in the pipeline

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 11:41:16 GMT

"The South-Bohemian part of the D3 motorway has progressed most. Here, works are under way on almost 19 km of the motorway itself plus another 20 km of the Budweis bypass. Construction of the D11 from Hradec Králové towards Poland, where 22.5 km of motorway are under construction, continues as well," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok.

To be specific, a portion of the D3 motorway Bošilec - Ševětín is under construction and will be completed next year. The Ševětín - Borek section will be opened in 2020. Preparations of sections Úsilné - Hodějovice and Hodějovice - Třebonín, where bids of building companies are currently being evaluated, are under way. The motorway should hit the Austrian border in 2024.

Regarding the D6 to Karlsbad, a total of three sections with an aggregate length of 14.6 km are under construction: the Řevničov bypass, the Lubenec bypass and the Nové Strašecí - Řevničov section. All these three sections will be completed within three years and more sections will follow. The whole motorway could be completed between 2025 and 2026.
The continuation of the D11 in sections Hradec Králové - Smiřice and Smiřice - Jaroměř is also under construction. A total of 22.5 km will have been opened within three or four years. An extension of the motorway towards Poland is also in the pipeline and the motorway shall be completed between 2024 and 2025.

And there are more construction sites on the D48 motorway: in section Rybí - Rychaltice and the Frýdek-Místek bypass along with a connection to the D56. A total of 89 km have been overhauled between Prague and Brno and another 70 km will see an upgrade until 2021.

You will find the complete overview of current and scheduled works and the km counts in our interactive map at: www.mdcr.cz/mapa showing that as of today there are 177.3 km of motorways and category I roads under construction, of which 110.2 km are motorways (the D1 modernisation is 13.6 km) and 67 km are construction works on category I roads. Another 43.5 km of motorways and category I roads (of which 42 km are motorways) shall still start this year or at the beginning of next year.

First trains will ride through the Ejpovice tunnel in November

The 4km Ejpovice tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in the Czech Republic, will very soon see its completion. The first train will ride through the south tube already on November 15. From December 9, when a new time schedule comes into effect, all trains will start using both tunnel tubes, so the travel time between Prague and Pilsen will be cut by ten minutes.

One third of the reconstruction of the Negrelli viaduct, a major transportation structure in the country, is now completed. The route capacity will increase and so will the number of trains: up to 14 trains per hour will be operated here. Modernisation of the tracks from Prague towards Kladno, with a branch-off to the Václav Havel Airport, will follow this reconstruction. The entire route could be completed until 2029.

Modernisation of the rail line between the Prague Main Railway Station and Hostivař is also under way. Trains connecting Prague with South Bohemia will now use the four-track rail line. The track speed will rise to 120 km/h. The modernisation will bring convenience for passengers on long-distance trains and make travelling across the capital much easier. The 6km section should be completed in 2021.

Work also continues on another section of the Fourth Transit Corridor from Prague to Budweis. Modernisation of the Sudoměřice – Votice track will bring a second track in this section, two tunnels and a new station Červený Újezd. The train speed will to up to 160 km/h, which will cut the travel time for express trains between Prague and Tábor to one hour. Construction works are expected to be completed in 2021.

Luxembourg and the Czechia cooperate in the frame of space resources exploration and utilization

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 09:30:00 GMT

Photo: www.spaceresources.lu

Both countries agreed to regularly consult and exchange views on their positions regarding the economic, legal, regulatory and technological aspects of the commercial utilization of space resources discussed in international fora and organizations such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) and its subcommittees.

Furthermore, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic agreed to promote and to seek a constructive dialogue with other United Nations Member States with the goal to establish a clear and transparent global framework for the utilization of space resources that may lead to new scientific information and knowledge about the solar system and to valuable commercial applications.

Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Etienne Schneider stated: “After the agreements signed with Portugal, Japan, China and the United Arab Emirates, this is another important step forward in enhancing international cooperation. The memorandum with the Czech Republic is yet another solid recognition of our economic development initiative SpaceResources.lu that is driven and lead by the newly created Luxembourg Space Agency to position the Grand Duchy as a European hub for the exploration and use of space resources.”

Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic Dan Ťok stated: “I consider as important that the Czech Republic actively participates in broader bilateral and multilateral discussions on how to ensure lawful utilisation of space resources for the benefit of mankind. The memorandum with Luxembourg may represent one of useful platforms to support such discussions and actions allowing to actively and efficiently contribute to establish a transparent and stable legal framework for the utilization of space resources and to mobilize necessary investments.”

Work started on more than 15 km of the D11 motorway between Hradec Králové and Smiřice

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 13:22:13 GMT

We have currently 23 km of the D11 from Hradec Králové up to Jaroměř under construction. And preparations are under way also on the remaining part of the motorway towards the border. Construction of the connecting sections from Jaroměř to Trutnov and on the state border depends on when the planning permits are issued. We expect that work on these two last sections of the D11 will start in 2022", the Transport Minister Dan Ťok said about the construction commencement on this D11 section.

The D11 motorway Prague - Hradec Králové - Jaroměř - Trutnov - state border has a total length of 151.4 km according to the design. Currently the section Prague - Hradec Králové is in operation. The D11 motorway is belongs to the international road E67 Warsaw – Prague and is part of the TEN-T global network of the European transport corridor Paris – Nuremberg – Pilsen – Prague – Hradec Králové – Vratislav – Warsaw – Brest – Moscow, connecting eastern and western Europe.

D11 Hradec Králové – Smiřice

length: 15 460 m
road surface: 349 121 sqm
number of civil structures: 139

Contractor: EUROVIA – METROSTAV – SWIETELSKY
Construction price according to the contract: CZK 2 594 million excluding VAT

Changes to compulsory equipment and first aid kits – motorists will see several changes in October

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 07:59:24 GMT

No need to replace an expired first aid kit

"We have simplified the compulsory equipment and first aid kit content in cars. Now, drivers no longer need spare fuses, the reserve wheel, a matrix wrench and a hand jack – but only provided the car operator has an assistance service policy in place which includes the replacement of a damage tyre across the Czech Republic non-stop," says the Transport Minister Dan Ťok. Starting on October 1, the triangular scarf, patches with a pad and a plastic mouth mask do not necessarily have to be replaced after expiring.

Motorbike riders no longer need to come to emission tests, visiting the Technical Inspection Station once in four years

The new period for regular inspections at Technical Inspection Stations (STK) is now four years for bigger motorbikes (first inspection of new motorbikes after 6 years, another every 4 years). Besides mopeds, motorbikes with a weight of over 400 kg no longer need to come to emission measurements. "We made a concession to motorbike riders. Since it is their hobby in the majority of cases, they usually maintain their bikes in a very good technical condition. The practice has shown that the four-year period is sufficient for regular technical inspections," minister Ťok explains.

Sanctions for illegal cheating with mileage

The amended act on the terms and conditions of road vehicles operation also introduces sanctions of up to CZK 500,000 for mileage fraud with tachometers. "We are mostly aiming at individuals and companies who do this service repeatedly and against a payment. We have no intention to damage regular drivers who bought a car that was subject to mileage fraud," says minister Ťok and adds that mechanics who fail to issue a tachometer replacement certificate will be facing sanctions of up to CZK 50,000. If the vehicle operator fails to provide this certificate at the technical inspection, they will face sanctions up to CZK 10,000.

The Ministry of Transport has been fighting mileage fraud for years. Preparation of the https://www.kontrolatachometru.cz/ app was the first step. After entering the VIN code, the user can check the tachometer according to technical inspections. The introduction of photo documentation at the Technical Inspection Stations and Emission Measurement Stations was another step. For next year the ministry is preparing an upgrade of the information system of the Technical Inspection Stations that will automatically warn about all cases where lower mileage was detected during the technical inspection than that recorded at the previous inspection.

An isle that saves lives

Since October, drivers must create a rescue isle between the left lane and the adjacent driving lane. Only vehicles with the right of way may enter this space, including vehicles of the road administrator and vehicles needed for the removal of the consequences of the traffic accident of road obstacle. Fines of up to CZK 2500 can be imposed if the driver enters the isle without authorisation. This step also brought uniform rules with the neighbouring countries such as Germany, Austria and Slovakia who is also planning the same change.

The Ministry is selecting 4 consortia for the completion and operation of 32 km of the D4 motorway

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 08:13:48 GMT

"At the Ministry we are selecting the bidders that will be invited to the competitive dialogue for the 25 years concession for DBFOM of 32 kilometers of the D4 motorway from Příbram to Písek. The companies interested in the tender are from Germany, France, Spain, but also consortia of Turkish-Italian-Dutch-Luxembourg companies or Austro-Australian-Spanish-French association. From the seven consortiums, we will now select four to participate in the competitive dialogue. In 2020, the winner could start building the whole section at once" Transport Minister Dan Ťok said.

The participants of the tender that sent their request for qualification are (in the order of the date of receipt of the RFQ):

HOCHTIEF PPP Solutions GmbH (Germany) + STRABAG AG (Austria)
PAN-MEDITERRANEAN ENGINEERING COMPANY LTD (Izrael)
DIF Infra 5 Participations 1 B.V (Netherlands) + Acciona Concesiones S.L. (Spain) + John Laing Investments Ltd. (UK)
IC Içtaş Inşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (Turkey) + ASTALDI S.p.A. (Italy) + Intertoll Infrastructure Developments B.V (Netherlands) + BBGI PPP Investment S.à.r.l. (Luxembourg) + TIIC 2, S.C.A., SICAR (Luxembourg)
VINCI Highways SAS (France) + VINCI Concessions SAS (France) + Meridiam Investments SAS (France)
PORR Beteiligungen und Management GmbH (Austria) + Macquarie Corporate Holdings Pty Limited (Australia) + Obrascon Huarte Lain, S.A. (Spain) + Egis Projects S.A. (France)
FCC Concesiones, S.L. (Spain)

The PPP D4 project consists of design, build, finance, operate and maintain of the 32 km missing part of D4 between Háje and Mirotice, and operation and maintenance on subsequent sections of D4 and the 1st class road #20 in the Skalka - Háje and the Mirotice – Krašovice sections. In this context, the Road and Motorways Directorate continues intensively in the investment preparation, in order to obtain building permits in a timely manner, including the provision of diagnostic works on existing sections D4 and I / 20 in order to obtain the necessary data for risk assessment by participants in the competitive dialogue.

Dostavba 32 km dálnice D4 je zase o kousek blíž. Do tendru se přihlásilo těchto sedm zájemců. Vybereme z nich čtyři, kteří se „utkají" o zakázku na dostavbu a 25 let provozu dálnice formou PPP. V roce 2020 by vítěz mohl začít stavět celý úsek najednou! pic.twitter.com/Uj0xkIr73u
— Dan Tok (@tok5934) 20. září 2018

In the Czech Republic, no PPP project in state transport infrastructure has reached this stage of preparation. "In the three to six year horizon, European funds for the constructions of motorways will be significantly reduced. Therefore, we need to prepare for other funding models, such as public-private partnerships, so-called PPPs. In the future, we would like to use this way in the sections where we have a complete zoning permits for the stretch of motorway of at least 30 km. For example: D6, D35 or Central Bohemia part of D3" Ťok added.

The Ministry of Transport opens another call targeting the construction of recharging stations

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 09:22:24 GMT

The Ministry of Transport announces on September 28, 2018 the second Operational Programme Transportation call under a subsidy scheme for the support infrastructure for alternative fuels, targeting the construction of the so-called supplementary network of standard recharging stations. The maximum allocation is CZK 174 million under this call. The deadline for submitting applications will be February 15, 2019.

Applicants doing business in these sectors (who can provide evidence of this) can apply for the subsidy: electrical installations, power distribution, electricity trading, and/or those with experience operating at least 10 publicly accessible recharging stations and those who submit a project involving the construction of recharging stations on the Czech territory. The scope of the project depends on applicant's considerations. In this call, the maximum rate of support of eligible expenditure may be up to 70%. Economical operation, readiness and relevance are the evaluation criteria.

Another call focused on the construction of the so-called supplementary network of recharging stations will be announced next year. By the end of 2023 at least 800 recharging stations should have been built, so that the national objective, stipulated by the National Clean Mobility Action Plan, passed by the government in November 2015, will be met. This new call follows up the first call announced in January 2018 under which four applications will be supported. If these four applications are successful, there will be 132 standard recharging stations installed and supported from the Operational Programme Transportation scheme with an aggregate amount of CZK 26 million.

More information on the terms and conditions of the support under this new call can be found in the detailed documentation of the call No. 67 published on the website of the control body for the Operational Programme: Transportation: http://web.opd.cz/vyzva-67

The D1 will be freely passable near Prague before the end of the summer holiday

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 13:17:22 GMT

The D1 reconstruction in front of Prague is coming to the final phase. The asphalt top cover will be completed in two weeks between km 12 and 16 of the most heavily used Czech motorway. In September and October three more modernised D1 sections will be opened as well, so almost 90 km of the D1 motorway will have been repaired and modernised.

"I checked how the reconstruction work progresses at km 15 of the D1 motorway. About 90 000 cars pass this point every day. A have good news for all drivers: works follow the schedule and will be completed on August 31, the restrictions will be removed and from Saturday Oct 1 on drivers can start using the new section without restrictions," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

Eurovia is the contractor for the road surface repair and will return to the D1 near Prague next April and start repairing the left section of the motorway between km 9.5 and km 12. The whole reconstruction will cost CZK 250 million excl. VAT.

Two more sections on the D1 will open for drivers during September, the construction of which is done during motorway operation: section No. 10 between Hořice and Koberovice and section No. 20 at Velké Meziříčí and Lhotka. And in October also section No. 4 between Ostředek and Šternov will be opened.

"It is still this year that we are opening another 19.5 km of the modernised D1 – this means that 13 sections out of 20 are completed now, i.e almost 90 km of the new D1," minister Ťok adds.

The total cost of the D1 modernisation before the tenders started in 2013 was estimated at CZK 24 billion and we are currently at CZK 20 billion. RSD wants to have all sections modernised by 2021. At present there are 69 km of the modernised D1 motorway in operation and 33 under reconstruction.

Na 15. kilometru jsem dnes prověřil průběh prací na rekonstrukci dálnice D1. Denně tu projede 90 tisíc aut. Pro všechny řidiče mám dobrou zprávu, dělníci všechno stíhají a 31. srpna práce dokončí, odstraní omezení a od soboty 1. září se bude jezdit po novém a bez omezení. pic.twitter.com/uLludGlFAx
— Dan Tok (@tok5934) 17. srpna 2018

The Senate has approved strict penalties for cheating with the mileage

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 07:41:02 GMT

If the car mechanic does not issue a certificate when repairing or replacing the tachometer and does not submit the certificate to the vehicle holder, a sanction up to CZK 50,000 may be assessed. If the vehicle holder does not submit the tachometer repair or replacement certificate to the Technical Inspection Station with the next inspection, he/she may face a penalty up to CZK 10,000. Changing a record of the actual mileage on the km counter may lead to a penalty of up to CZK 500,000 for any natural person or legal entity.

"Anybody who illegally reduces the mileage will face the half-a-million sanction. But this sanction shall mostly apply to individuals and companies doing this against a fee. We do not intend to damage drivers who just buy a car which was subject to mileage fraud. This is my appeal to all those intending to buy a car: check the car properly," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

In practise, the tachometer status is recorded during the technical inspection at Technical Inspection Stations or Emission Measurement Stations and also the police can find out such an offence during the technical road inspection. If lower mileage is found on the tachometer during the technical inspection than that recorded at the last inspection, then the holder of such a vehicle has 30 days to remove such a serious defect (type B). During this period, he/she must provide a valid km counter repair or replacement certificate, otherwise the vehicle will lose its technical fitness.

If a company or natural person who did the repair or replaced the counter fails to issue the certificate, he/she/it will face a sanction of up to CZK 50,000. If the tachometer mileage was illegally reduced, then the individual or company who did this fraud will face a penalty up to CZK 500,000. "We have been actively addressing fraud connected with mileage reduction for many years. The first step was the kontrolatachometru.cz app, followed by the introduction of photodocumentation at Technical Inspection Stations and Emission Measurement Stations. For next year we are preparing an upgrade of the information system of the Technical Inspection Stations that will automatically warn about all cases where lower mileage was detected during the technical inspection than that recorded at the previous inspection," adds the minister of transport Dan Ťok.

Drivers can check the free public database www.kontrolatachometru.cz where they can find out the tachometer status recorded at the last technical inspection and previous visits to the Technical Inspection Stations. Offences connected with mileage reduction are handled by regional authorities and the Ministry of Transport is the appeal body; applies to vehicle inspected after January 1, 2016 since when compulsory photodocumentation was introduced and the offence must have been committed after October 1, 2018. Citizens suspecting a mileage fraud on their vehicle may also report the matter to the police or municipality with extended powers.

The police, ambulances and fire rescue vehicles can drive through traffic jams faster

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 09:48:05 GMT

"We need to align the Czech rules with Germany, Austria and (soon) Slovakia. Plus every driver should, like in the neighbouring countries, learn how to create the rescue isle already when entering the traffic jam from the back," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

Now, cars must go aside to the right if driving in the middle or right lane and to the left if in the fast lane. The rescue isle will be therefore created in the middle lane.

"Only vehicles with the right of way may enter this space, including road administrator's vehicles and vehicles needed for removing the consequences of the traffic accident or road obstacle," the amendment says. Any unauthorised entry of the isle may be subject to a penalty up to CZK 2500. It is also important that drivers create the isle on time, i.e. already when making their way slowly through the traffic jam. Once the car has stopped, it is more difficult to go aside when the rescue vehicle is approaching from the back.

This amendment passed by the Senate also allows the vehicles of the Integrated Rescue System using the red beacon for better visibility. The changes shall apply from October after being signed by the president. BESIP will demonstrate to the drivers how to create the rescue isle and explain why it is so important for the rescue vehicles.

§ 41 par. 8 of the road traffic act:

"If the motorway or road with at least two lanes is not freely passable due to a traffic jam consisting of standing or slowly moving vehicles, drivers are obliged to create space between the driving lanes for the passage of vehicles with the right of way. To do this, drivers are allowed to enter the road shoulder of middle dividing lane. If there are more than two driving lanes in the same direction, this space shall be created between the lane which is the last on the left and the adjacent lane. Only vehicles with the right of way may enter this space, including vehicles of the road administrator and vehicles needed for the removal of the consequences of the traffic accident of road obstacle."

Two new stations will be built in Prague – Eden and Zahradní Město (Garden City)

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 09:01:54 GMT

"The railway plays an important role in metropolitan transportation. Its significance will increase further after the completion of this project in with a four-rail track will be built in the area of the former marshalling yard in Vršovice. This project follows up the modernisation of the Prague-Hostivař station and work is also under way on another section of the fourth corridor between Sudoměřice by Tábor and Votice. It will only take a few years and we can go to the south on a continuous, modernised section from Planá nad Lužnicí in the Tábor region to the Vršovice station in Prague," said the minister of transport Dan Ťok.

"The new station in Zahradní Město and the Eden stop, situated close to the Prague Slavia football stadium, will become major hubs where passengers will change for public transportation. The platforms in Zahradní Město will lie directly above the extended underpass in street Průběžná where tram stops will be situated," the RIA CEO Jiří Svoboda lists the benefits. He adds that the existing track via Strašnice will be cancelled and its structure used for other purposes in the future.

The station in Vršovice will undergo a major transformation. A modern platform at a standard height of 550 mm above the rails will significantly improve passenger experience and provide barrier-free access to trains. The residents of Nusle will appreciate the extension of the existing underpass underneath the entire rail area of the station towards street Bartoškova. Access from the platforms to the space in front of the station will be an innovation.

Preparatory works are under way in 2018: mostly the demolition of bridges (in streets V Korytech and U Vršovického hřbitova) and road closures that are mostly scheduled for weekends. The passengers will therefore not face any serious complications yet.

The entire project will entail some shorter operation interruptions. The first continuous three-day closure in the direction to Malešice – Vršovice is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019. Further restrictions will apply during the further stages in station Praha-Vršovice since the spring of 2019 according to the construction schedule of the underpass extension and rails and bridges construction. A three-week closure of the tram line between street Průběžná and Zahradní Město is needed for the demolition of the railway bridge.

The project called "Optimisation of Track Section Prague Hostivař – Praha main railway station Part II – Prague Hostivař – Praha main railways station" is co-funded by the EU from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme. The expected construction costs are CZK 4 419 960 495. The EU support totals 82.14% of eligible costs, so the maximum subsidy is EUR 110 309 931, i.e. about CZK 3 billion. National funding is provided by the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. The companies Metrostav, Swietelsky Rail CZ and SMP CZ are the contractors. The length of the section to be straightened is 6070 m.

Name of project	Optimisation of Track Section Prague Hostivař – Praha main railway station Part II – Prague Hostivař – Praha main railways station
Investor	Railway Infrastructure Authority (RIA), state organisation
Contractors	Metrostav a.s. Swietelsky Rail CZ SMP CZ
Civil engineer	SUDOP PRAHA a.s.
Commencement	05/2018
Completion	10/2021
Total construction costs	CZK 4 419 960 000Kč excl. VAT
Approved EU contribution	CZK 3,000,000,000

The new D1 motorway section by Jihlava has opened for drivers after two years again

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:22:59 GMT

This is the first of the four modernised sections to be opened during the next two months. Sections Velké Meziříčí – Lhotka, Hořice – Koberovice (both will be opened in September) and Ostředek – Šternov (to be opened in October) will follow. The total length of these sections is 20.35 km. This means that at the end of 2018 drivers will have 90 km of the D1 motorway modernised, i.e. 13 sections out of 20 will be completed and two under construction.

Details

Section 15, EXIT 112 Jihlava – EXIT 119 Velký Beranov
length: 5980 m
road surface size: 184 184 sqm
number of civil structures: 28

Contractor: Vodohospodářské stavby, s r. o. + FIRESTA-Fišer, rekonstrukce, stavby a.s. + BT Beton – Technik GmbH
Price according to the contract: CZK 590 million excl. VAT
Modernisation period: 08/2016 – 08/2018

D1 – 21 sections
Condition	Number of sections	Km
Opened	10	69.3
Under construction	4	33.4
Tender in progress (the Children of the Earth civic association attacked the building permit)	3	33.6
In preparation	4	26.1

Po dvou letech prací jsme dnes ráno otevřeli řidičům úsek dálnice D1 mezi Jihlavou a Velkýn Beranovem.

Jedná se o první ze čtyř úseků, které zprovozníme během následujících 2 měsíců. Následovat budou úseky Velké Meziříčí – Lhotka, Hořice – Koberovice a Ostředek – Šternov. pic.twitter.com/PWkjdVpKS2
— Ministerstvo dopravy (@min_dopravy) 13. srpna 2018

No more compulsory light bulbs in vehicles and no need to replace expired first aid boxes any more

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 10:11:39 GMT

"It has become useless to carry light bulbs and fuses in the car. Drivers of modern cars have such a replacement done in the service anyway. Following an agreement with the Ministry of Health, we decided that a first air box without the mask and patch with a pad is sufficient and can also be expired," explains the minister of transport Dan Ťok. Scissors, which were not often used anyway according to the ministry and are hence dispensable, can now be also missing in the first aid kit.

The amendment to decree No. 341/2014 Coll. on the approval of technical fitness for road traffic also simplifies and refines the duty of having a spare wheel in the vehicle and a set for replacing the wheel (a hand jack).

"Vehicles with tyres allowing the car to reach a workshop in the event of a tyre defect and indicating the defect do not need to have a spare wheel. The vehicles can also have the quick fix set for the damaged tyre instead of a reserve wheel. The third exception are vehicles covered by assistance service, providing wheel replacement or tyre repair on the spot across the Czech Republic," the minister adds.

After being negotiated by the government's council for legal affairs, the proposed changes to the decree shall be effective from October 1, 2018.

New wording of the decree stipulating compulsory vehicle equipment

Compulsory vehicle equipment

Spare wheel and accessories necessary for wheel change

1. A spare wheel and accessories necessary for wheel change shall mean

a spare wheel, i.e. rim with tyre attached sufficiently to the bracket ensuring that the force arising from taking the wheel off the bracket or placing the wheel into the bracket will not exceed 490 N; if more wheel dimensions are used on the vehicle, it must be possible to use the spare wheel for all such dimensions or the vehicle must be equipped with spare wheels for all dimensions,
nut key or vehicle wheel screws and
hand-held jack with a load bearing capacity equalling at least the biggest technically permissible weight per axle of the most loaded vehicle axle or vehicle system, or equalling the weight of the vehicle part being lifted from the biggest technically permissible vehicle weight when lifting this part in a way stipulated by the manufacturer for using a jack.

2. A spare wheel and accessories needed for wheel replacement is the compulsory equipment in vehicle categories M, N, O and R, with the exception of

vehicles where all wheels are fitted with tyres of a special design and defect indication allowing an emergency ride with the defect,
vehicles equipped with means for repairing the damaged tyre without disassembly, allowing an emergency ride,
vehicles with corresponding contractual coverage based on which the damaged tyre will be repaired at any moment across the Czech Republic,
city buses, fire rescue vehicles and garbage trucks operating in a limited area within the operating range of the service of its provider, trailers of categories O1 or R1, fire trailers or R category trainers operated in a limited area within the oprating range of the service of its provider or
vehicles belonging to a vehicle system if another vehicle of the same system is equipped with a spare wheel of the same dimension, design and accessories needed for wheel replacement.

First aid kit

1. The first aid kit must contain

1.
a)

Medical material quantity (units)

Disposable bandage with 1 pad 1
(minimum width 8 cm, sorption capacity minimum 800g/m2)

Disposable bandage with 2 pads 1
(minimum width 8 cm, sorption capacity minimum 800g/m2)

Rubber tying bandage (60 x 1 250 mm) 1

Rubber gloves (latex), surgical, packaged 1

(hereafter only "motorist's first aid kit"),
b)

Medical material quantity (units)

Kit size
I. II. III.

Disposable bandage with 1 pad 3 5 10
(minimum width 8 cm, sorption capacity minimum 800g/m2)

Disposable bandage with 2 pads 3 5 10
(minimum width 8 cm, sorption capacity minimum 800g/m2)

Smooth patch spool 1 2 4
(size 2.5 cm x 5 m, minimum adhesive capacity 7 N/25 mm)

Rubber tying bandage (60 x 1 250 mm) 1 3 5

Rubber gloves (latex), surgical, packaged 1 2 4

Isothermic foil (minimum dimension 200 x 140 cm) 1 1 1

Note: the first aid car kit of size III can be replaced by two size II kits

(hereafter only "first aid car kit").

2. Motorist's first aid kit must be part of L category vehicle equipment, except for mopeds or motorised bikes.

3. The first aid car kit must be part of vehicle equipment except for L category vehicles, single-axle tractors with a trailer or motorised trailers:

vehicles for mass transportation of people with more than 80 passengers of size III; for city public transportation vehicles a first aid car kit of size II is sufficient,
vehicle for mass transportation of people with up to including 80 passengers of size II,
any other size I motor vehicle with at least four wheels.

4. Fire rescue vehicles must be equipped with the corresponding type of first aid kit stipulated by another legal regulation4).

5. The contents of the first aid kit are placed in a separate case. The first air kit is placed in the vehicle in a place with no daylight. The storage compartment for the first air kit must be dry and clean and easy to access. In vehicles for mass transportation of people the first aid kit is placed in a designated and accessible place inside the vehicle intended for passengers.

Warning triangle

The warning triangle is a piece of compulsory equipment in vehicles approved according to regulation No. 27 of the Economic Commission for Europe except for category L and Z vehicles, single-axle tractors with a trailer and vehicles with a total width of less than 1 m.

Fire extinguisher

1. The fire extinguisher means a fire extinguisher with corresponding extinguishing power in accordance with the applicable technical regulation5). The fire extinguisher must be assessed by a certified person for product compliance7).

2. Vehicles of categories M2, M3 or ambulances must be equipped with a fire extinguisher:

vehicles of categories M2 or M3 with maximum 22 seats for the transportation of people except for the driver seat must be equipped with one or more fire extinguishers with minimum extinguishing power 21 A or 113 B,
any other vehicles of categories M2 or M3 must be equipped with one or several fire extinguishers with minimum extinguishing power 43 A or 183 B or with a fire extinguisher in accordance with regulation No. 107 of the Economic Commission for Europe,
ambulances must be equipped with a fire extinguishers with extinguishing power 34 B.

3. The fire extinguisher is attached in the vehicle in a designated bracket in the vertical or horizontal direction in a way ensuring that it can safely withstand acceleration of at least 6 g in the direction of the front crash of the vehicle and is placed in a well visible and easily accessible place, and one fire extinguisher is installed immediately next to the driver position.

A multi-level crossing proposal was prepared for the Studénka railway crossing

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:51:25 GMT

"The cancellation of the problematic crossing, construction of an underpass and a new road for trucks will finally solve the situation in a place where three people died in 2015 and many were seriously injured. The RIA has preliminarily selected eight similar places where multi-level crossings will be built during the next years, improving safety on the railway," says the minister of transport Dan Ťok.

The crossing in Studénka saw an extremely serious accident in July 2015, but there are seven more dangerous places where the RIA is working on a plan to rebuild the crossing and has been working on the Zoning Permit Design. The preparation and award of the building permit and contractor selection can take several years. Besides the necessary change of the urban development plan of the town of Studénka which the town representatives will also discuss at their meeting in the second half of 2018, the RIA must still acquire eight land plots that have two private owners. When acquired, the condition of the town for the approval of the urban development plan amendment will be met. After that the RIA can apply for the legally effective zoning permit with the competent building authority and start work on the civil design. If the design preparation runs smoothly and all necessary legal steps have been taken, construction could start in 2020.

Správa železniční dopravní cesty připravila vizualizaci přejezdu ve Studénce, v létě ji budeme schvalovat. Bude ještě potřeba vykoupit několik pozemků a vybrat zhotovitele, práce by ale měly začít v roce 2020. pic.twitter.com/mhywJPubeo
— Ministerstvo dopravy (@min_dopravy) 20. července 2018

The primary objective is to cancel the level crossing of the rail line with the road. A new underpass will be built instead. Its clear height was discussed with the Integrated Rescue System representatives, the road owner and administrator and the town of Studénka. The clear height of 3.7m was chosen for the underpass which will deliberately prevent trucks from passing through. A road will be reclassified after construction completion from a category III road to a "local road". Heavy trucks will be diverted outside road III/46427. The replacement route for trucks will be road II/464 and the D1 motorway. Access to the commercial zone will be provided from road II/464 via street Butovická on a new access road. The design also covers the relocation of road III/46427, placing the crossing with street R. Tomáška farther to reach the legally required distance from the crossing. The new connection with the commercial zone will take trucks away from street R. Tomáška, so restrictions will of course apply to trucks all over the town.

"Should the multi-level crossing is built in Studénka, we have to buy a lot of land and build a by-pass route for trucks. The new road for trucks will not only make railway traffic safer, but reduce the intensity of transit traffic in the town and so improve the quality of life for local residents. Having studied the project plan, my estimation of the costs is about CZK 700 million," says the RIA CEO Jiří Svoboda.

The construction of the multi-level crossings is not the only way to improve safety for trains and cars. Modernisation and reconstruction of existing railway crossings is another method. Cooperating the Police of the Czech Republic and the Railway Authority, the RIA selects dozens of railway crossings every year as candidates for modernisation and safety improvements. Most of them are crossings where there have been repeated accidents, or crossings equipped with the most out-of-date safety systems of warning crosses only. Since the beginning of 2018 eight crossings, that had been equipped only with warning crosses, have been equipped with a safety system. Another eleven crossings which already had red lights were upgraded and bars were added. The RIA plans to invest CZK 814 million in different methods of safety improvement on 82 level crossings in 2018. The RIA seeks to reduce the number of crossing as such. In 2017 they managed to cancel 16 crossings, most of which were field road crossings or single-purpose crossings only.

The RIA has also been working on the reconstruction of seven level crossings which is now in a different semi-completion stage. On route Břeclav - Přerov this applies to three crossings in Halenkovice, Rohatec, Napajedla and Žlutava where the expected construction period is in 2021 - 2022. For 2020 - 2021 the reconstruction of conventional crossings on these routes is foreseen: Česká Třebová - Praha with a level crossing in Uhersko. Another multi-level crossing is under preparation on route Přerov - Bohumín, specifically in Polanka nad Odrou, and a railway overpass will replace the conventional crossing on route Přerov - Olomouc in the city part of Olomouc-Holice.

The high-speed rail line connects the Czechs with the Germans

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 12:41:25 GMT

"We are preparing an international agreement on the construction of a new railway connection between Ústí nad Labem and Dresden which will govern the joint cross-border tunnel through the Krušné hory mountains. At the same time, we want to integrate this high-speed rail line into the TEN-T network," says the Czech minister of transport after the meeting.

A Czech-German Expert Group was set up in Berlin in May which negotiated the plan of operating the cross-border tunnel according to German regulations. The RIA cooperates with Deutsche Bahn Netz on the tunnel design. A joint agreement shall be drafted until the end of 2018, governing the next steps in the preparation of the cross-border section and counting the resources needed for preparation in 2019 and 2020.

"The route from Pilsen to Munich via Domažlice and Furth im Wald is another priority railway connection. It is still this year that the tunnels between Pilsen and Rokycany will open," minister Ťok added. The reconstruction of route Pilsen – Domažlice – state border in a length of approx. 70 km shall raise the track speed up to 200 km/h and reduce the travel time from Prague to Munich to less than four hours.

The ministers were discussing other topics as well, such as the need for building the Děčín Navigation Level, allowing navigation on the Labe river, and cross-border cooperation projects in the testing of self-driving vehicles. Minister Ťok also invited the federal minister Scheuer to Prague to an official visit.

Dan Tok, Verkehrsminister von Tschechien, zu Besuch bei BM @AndiScheuer @min_dopravy @tok5934 pic.twitter.com/z0S7GahjMX
— BMVI (@BMVI) 17. července 2018

RIA continues with preparations for the relocation of the Brno Railway Junction

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 08:35:09 GMT

"We are implementing the government decisions from 2002 and 2015 in which it was decided that the Brno railway junction shall be moved. On top of this, the City of Brno and the South Moravian Region have also agreed on this. After about 72 years we have reached an agreement on how to proceed. But the discussion must not stop, we must work hard," said the minister of transport Dan Ťok.

The Central Commission of the Ministry of Transportation chose the so-called River Variant for the Brno Railway Junction on May 30. It made this decision after studying the Feasibility Study and reviewing opinions of experts and railways operators, statements of affected towns and the region, the RIA and the Steering Committee for the Brno Railway Junction.

"As this is a big investment, I will provide further materials and information to the government, showing where exactly the money shall be invested to ensure this investment will be efficient," minister Ťok added. The total investment costs excluding VAT are about CZK 43.1 billion, of which CZK 40.8 billion is the railway part and 2.3 billion is the connecting urban infrastructure.

The government was also notified that the RIA will prepare the Technical and Financial Assessment of the modifications needed for higher capacity and stability of the Traffic Prognosis of freight transport in the selected Variant before they assign the next design level.

When preparing this document, the RIA must take into account, among other things, the merging of passenger and freight trains into a single multi-corridor, collisions in the direction towards the Brno-Maloměřice station and the servicing of the Brno Terminal. The technical solution must also allow the possible construction of the so-called North-South Urban Train in Brno.

The relocated road I/62 Děčín - Vilsnice has opened for drivers

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 14:49:21 GMT

"The relocated road is very interesting from the technical point of view. We must realise that this is not a green-field project, but a structure lying within a city. This means that the project was facing many challenges such as significantly different routes of utilities and sand beddings, which brought many troubles with the road construction subject to stringent quality regulations. Many illegal dump sites, which somebody set up on the construction sites, had to be removed. Let me thank the contractor for its huge efforts to complete the project despite all these challenges", said the RSD CEO Jan Kroupa at the opening ceremony.

With the road in a new position, the traffic intensity in the commercial zone has decreased, safety has improved and the traffic is now smoother. Noise and emissions in the residential zone have also dropped. The entire section lies within the city of Děčín, so there is a speed limit of 50 km/h.

Road I/62 is the most frequently used road connecting the cities of Ústí nad Labem and Děčín. This road in the new position has great significance for this intercity connection and is, together with road I/13, part of the international route E442 – an important connection between regional centres and the industrial agglomeration of the regions of Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem and Liberec.

You can now get the driving licence in any municipal department with extended powers

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 09:36:21 GMT

Starting in July, all basic changes regarding the driving licence can be arranged in the closest municipal department with extended powers. This principle applies: The driver picks up the driving licence in the same department where he/she applied for it. You can find the list of all municipal departments on the interactive map of the Ministry of Transport.

Partial relaxing of local competence

"Applicants can now get their first driving licence at the closest municipal authority if they have passed the final exam at the driving school. Local authorities now have even more powers such as the replacement of an expired or invalid licence, issuance of the memory card for the digital tachograph and the international driving licence. Nobody has to travel to his/her place of permanent residence any more like it has been so far," explains the transport minister deputy Ladislav Němec and adds: "They will also help you here if you want to change your family name after your wedding, if you have lost your licence or when your licence has been damaged or stolen."

The system will get photos from other registers and/or the worker at the desk will make a photo of the applicant

Applicants have been required to bring their own photos to the authority. This is now a matter of the past.

"We have equipped all municipalities with extended powers with cameras which will take a photo of the applicant directly at the desk. They also have tablets where the applicant enters his/her digital signature. This is now the end printed driving licence applications," explains Stanislav Dvořák, head of the Driver Agenda Section at the Ministry of Transport.

No photo of the applicant will be needed in some cases. The system of the Ministry of Transport will send a query to the system of the Interior Ministry asking whether the applicant already has a digital photo from his/her passport or ID card. If such a photo can be used (it is available and still resembles the applicant), no photo shooting at the desk will be necessary.

The only exception when a paper photo will be still needed is the application for the international driving licence, because the format is strictly designed by international agreements.

A change in the place of residence has no impact on the driving licence

When the place of residence changed, the driver was obliged to report such a change to the authority which subsequently issued a new licence. This duty no longer applies. Starting in July, the driving licence will no longer contain information on the place of residence. This also applies to existing, valid driving licences.

Exceptions when the applicant must visit the authority in the place of his/her residence

Some situations will still require that the applicant comes to the authority with extended power in the place of his/her residence. This will happen when the driving licence has been taken or shall be returned by the police, when driving restrictions apply or for other situations not directly connected with the records kept by the municipality with extended powers in the place of the driver's residence.

Municipalities with extended powers must prepare the the change, so they will close for one and a half days

"Municipalities with extended powers must prepare for the transition to the new system, which is why on Friday June 29 they will closed for the whole day and on Thursday 28 July they will closed for the afternoon, i.e. no driving licence applications or applications for driver's professional competence certificates can be handled. We are pointing this out in advance, so that nobody is surprised. Do not leave your driving licence stuff for the last two working days in July," warns Jan Paroubek, head of the Driving Applications and Technology Section of the state enterprise Cendis, and adds: "From July 2 the State Printing Works of Securities will no longer accept applications with printed photos. Everything will be done in the electronic way. Therefore, the municipalities must process until the end of the month all the printed applications they have accepted."

Changes to administrative fees

The replacement of an expired driving licence will be free of charge like it has been.

The fee for the issuance of the new licence rises from CZK 50 to CZK 200. Also the fee for accelerated issuance of the licence within five working days rises from CZK 500 to CZK 700. "The driving licence issuance fee has been the same for many years. We paid CZK 20 for the pink books issued before 1898 and at the beginning of 1993 the price was raised to the current CZK 50. This means that the fee for the driving licence issuance has not changed for more than 25 years. It driving licence issuance will now cost a bit more, but this higher fee will be compensated by higher convenience. Applicants do not need to come with a printed photo and do not have to travel to the location of their place of permanent residence any more, which for some people meant taking a day off," says Stanislav Dvořák.

Preparations and system testing

No new information system had to be procured as a result of the more relaxed driving agenda, but the existing Central Registry of Drivers was upgraded and the digital tachograph system modified.

The state enterprise Cendis obtained the required equipment for the municipalities. "The offices of the municipalities with extended powers are now ready in terms of the new technology. The new systems have been tested since the beginning of June, so that everything is up and running in July. We have trained all staff from the whole country very thoroughly, demonstrated the system to them and answered questions from practice," added Jan Paroubek.

How are driving licences made?

Driving licences have many security features and are centrally personalised, which is why they must be made in the State Printing Works of Securities. "They are made under strict conditions defined by the national or international legislation. The production quality of Czech driving licences is the world top quality. Thousands of driving licences are made every day and this year up to 5 000 units are made every day," explains Ondřej Hyršl, head of production in the State Printing Works of Securities.

Driving licences are personalised by laser engraving to polycarbonate cards with specific design and receive a number of security features. The positive relief coining on both sides of the licence, the changing image in the right bottom corner of the front side, the visually changing logo print with "CZ" letters, etc. are just some examples. But also this driving licence design has undergone a development since 2004. To be specific, we added another security feature last year: tactile engraving of some items on both card sides.

Questions from driving licence applicants

Does the validity period change for newly issued driving licences?

No, these changes have no impact on the validity period. This means that the driving licence expires after ten years for motorcycle drivers, car drivers and others. Drivers with the authorisation to drive a truck or bus must replace their cards every five years.

How long does it take to get the new driving licence?

The standard period is 20 days since application submission. If you however need the driving licence faster for whatever reason, you can apply for an accelerated issuance within five working days. It will just cost you more. Those who apply for the driving licence for the first time (those who have just passed the driving school exams) cannot make use of the shorter, five-day period. The reason is that the administration with the first driving licence is more complex.

Do I need a new driving licence after changing my family name?

One of the situations when the driver does need to visit the authority to change the licence is the change of name. In this situation, the driving licence needs to be replaced and the same applies to all other documents.

Transport

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 06:57:15 GMT

We will prepare a concept change of the building law in the area of priority infrastructure projects. We will amend and upgrade the Act on the Acceleration of the Construction of Transport Infrastructure and the Act on Line Structures, so that approvals of publicly beneficial structures are simplified, obstructions in the permitting processes for transport structures are reduced and the unnecessary bureaucratic burden within the permitting processes is cut.

We will adopt rules for regional transport infrastructure funding (category II and III roads) through the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI) with the aim of providing CZK 4 billion of funds p.a.

We will intensify the construction of motorways on all main routes, particularly D1, D3, D4, D6, D7, D11, D35, D48, D49, D52 and D55 and complete the full modernisation of the D1 motorway between Prague and Brno.

By 2021 we will have opened 210 km of motorways, of which 110 km will be new motorways and 100 km will be the modernised D1. By 2021 we will have started with the construction of another 180 km of motorways.

Towns on category I roads must have bypasses, so that transit traffic does not pass through their centres. On category I roads we will build 130 km of bypasses that will relieve towns and municipalities heavily affected by traffic. This includes, among other things, bypasses or their other sections around Slaný, Ostrava-Poruba, Hradec Králové, Otrokovice, Frýdek-Místek, Klatovy, Jaroměř, Znojmo, Břeclav, Strakonice, Opava, Karviná and many others. By 2021 we will begin building the key part of the Prague ring road D0 511 between Běchovice and D1. We will obtain planning permits for the 518 and 519 projects between Ruzyně and Březiněves and we will obtain the positive EIA statement for the 520 Březiněves – Satalice project.

We will involve private investors in the construction of the transport infrastructure in the form of the public-private partnership (PPP). By implementing the pilot PPP project, we will ensure the extension and further operation of the unfinished section of the D4 motorway. Based on our experience with the project, this procedure will be used for other motorways as well (e.g. D7, D6, D3 or D35).

No later than in 2010 we will have solved the electronic toll for trucks over 3.5 t. Further extension of the toll system does must not be done for financial reasons, but it must be the traffic regulation tool as well. If alternate roads start being used and suffer damage because trucks will start bypassing a paid section, we will pass legislation allowing municipalities and regional departments to regulate transit traffic to prevent even more damage to roads nearby buildings and mitigate the risk for pedestrians and other road users.

We will make it easier for citizens to communicate with the state administration in the area of vehicle registration and in other registers in the transportation sector. Following the amendment to the act which has already been passed, we will make sure that every driver will be able to get his/her driving license even outside his/her permanent place of residence in any office with extended powers, without the need for completing unnecessary forms and coming with his/her own photograph. After introducing ID cards with a chip, everything can be handled from home.

Instead of motorway stickers we will introduce an electronic motorway coupon that can be purchased through a mobile app or on the Internet.

Safety will be among our priorities. The growing intensity of road traffic and modern and fast vehicles combined with new influences require even better prevention and awareness. In this respect we want to focus, among other things, on the youngest drivers who must not pose a fatal threat for themselves and others. We will pass legislation allowing a temporary driving licence with a limited two-year validity during which the young drivers will have to go through trainings to improve their driving skills and abilities, so they can handle crisis situations.

The government will introduce significant discounts on train and bus fares for senior citizens aged over 65 and for pupils and students up to 26 years of age.

We will create the conditions for cross-sectoral cooperation in freight transport, so that railway and water transport provide services for road hauliers. This means that we will take EU resources to support the development of combined transport terminals. The aim is to create a container transshipment point that will ensure that only the initial collection and final distribution takes place on the road. The longer travel on the transport route should be by rail or by water.

The state-guaranteed public passenger railway transport will be ensured in a minimum scope of CZK 7.4 billion p.a., which represents almost 37 million train km per year on 28 long-distance lines. Our objective is to improve the quality of our service and travelling culture through systematic support of car fleet renewal, and use of modern information systems and technologies.

We will continue with the liberalisation on the railway market. Liberalisation and the arrival of competitors in the railway passenger sector must be gradual and take into account the fact that Czech Railways are burdened with the cost of overhead fares and also provide the service of less attractive remote or regional lines subject to a public service. Czech Railways, the national provider, must be effectively controlled and act as a non-political entity.

We will repair at least sixty major station buildings for greater passenger comfort. This include for example the railway station in Most, Prague-Smíchov or Křižanov. The unused space of the station buildings will be offered for use to the public administration or commercial entities.

We will support the development of parking capacity around railway stations (P+R) in cooperation with municipalities. We will support the development of the cycling infrastructure (B+R) not only by railway stations but also bus stops.

We want to create a uniform integrated transportation system based on the principle of a single ticket and uniform transportation rules. All this regardless of which transportation company the passenger uses.

We will continue with the modernisation of national and regional railway lines, including electrification of important non-electrified lines where this makes sense. Even railways must be made safer, so we want to focus on railway crossings and the introduction of ETCS is our priority. By the end of the election period, we will fix the routes of the high-speed railway lines, as foreseen, in the zoning and planning documentation of the regions and progress with design preparation. Feasibility studies will be prepared for the most essential connections. The priority axes are Berlin – Dresden – Ústí nad Labem – Prague, Prague – Brno – Břeclav and Brno – Přerov – Ostrava. For the railway connection Prague-Kladno with a turning to the Václav Havel airport we will get the planning decision and progress significantly with the property preparation, and for some parts we will obtain the building permit.

By approving the Water Transport Concept, finalising the EIA processes and starting the planning proceedings for the implementation of navigation levels Děčín and Přelouč, we will have come closer to the creation of sufficient navigation conditions on the Elbe-Vltava waterway.

The government will decide on the next steps after the completion of the feasibility study for the Danube-Odra-Elbe waterway project, now in progress.

Drivers will be facing many traffic restrictions. Better to be ready for them

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:17:21 GMT

To be able to duly plan your trip in advance and safely reach your holiday destination, we have updated our map where you will see the most important road traffic restrictions you may encounter on the way.

"We recommend everybody going on a holiday to plan the route and check where he/she can expect problems and which sections to avoid, so that the driver does not get confused on the spot and does not improvise. Our interactive map on our website shall help you. Going on the holiday is not like racing," said the transport minister Dan Ťok at a press conference.

Very sad statistics

The statistics speak a very sad language. Most people die in July and August on the roads. One fifth of all people are killed or heavily injured during the summer holiday. Even when we could see a falling trend in fatal accidents, this is a very risky period: in 2017 it was 101 people who died on the roads. So who are the most vulnerable groups? It is children, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Lack of attention is among the most frequent causes of accidents

Traffic intensity, traffic restrictions and stress we have carried from our workplace unfortunately negatively affect the road situation. But there are things we can affect ourselves. According to statistics and a sociological research within the "Nepozornostzabiji" campaign ("lack of attention will kill you") of the Czech association of insurance companies, including BESIP and the Czech Police, lack of attention while driving is the one of the most frequent causes of accidents, followed by situations when the driver is handling his/her phone and other communication devices, navigation, etc. The penalty points system shows that holding the phone while driving is the third most frequent traffic offence. Last year there we about 50 000 such offences – and this only includes cases which the police classified as such, just imagine how many more there are ...). "Up to one third of drivers admit they are sending SMS or chatting while driving, which is a true warning," said Tomáš Neřold.

Once the summer holidays are starting, we must mention that fatigue leads to lack of attention and accidents. Fatigue makes up to 6.8% and lack of knowledge of the route about 6% for men.

The road legislation package turned into fight between the east and west of the EU

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 10:58:20 GMT

"The protectionism in some countries has now fully surfaced. They are boycotting what we have already agreed on", the Czech MEP Martina Dlabajová (ALDE), who leads the negotiations on the social aspects of the mobility package on behalf of the fraction of the Liberals and democrats in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), commented on today's vote.

Stricter rules were originally supposed to apply to truck drivers sent to a different country. Countries like France, Belgium and Germany – those who decided to protect themselves against cheaper competitors from Central and Eastern Europe – required a change. She regards the compromise achieved in the special regulation for the road traffic sector from last week, which also reflects the interests of the Czech Republic, as successful. "A balanced compromise was achieve last week that can be applied in practice and that will finally provide social protection and decent conditions for truck drivers, maintain competition on the single market and even boost the market. Now, however, we are back with restricting and undermining the freedom on the single market," she added.

The MEPs stopped the TRAN vote today and thus prevented the social aspects of the package going directly into the three-party negotiations between the EP, the Commission and the Council. The text must now go through the vote of the entire range again and face change proposals that may significantly affect the optimistic prospects of a balanced regulation.

Long disputes will still accompany the road package, evidence of which are the negotiations on the level of the EU Council which met by the end of last week. The Czech transport minister Dan Ťok came to defend the rights of Czech shipping businesses to the meeting of ministers. "It's time to close the long-year disputes on social dumping and protectionist policies. The Czech Republic will continue acting as a reasonable partner and seek dialogue with the western states to find a compromise acceptable for everyone," said the transport minister in Luxembourg. The member states did not find any agreement and the Council position was postponed.

The western states are obviously not interested in dialogue and have been obstructing any and all efforts of countries from Central and Eastern Europe who have already made many concessions. "We see no will among your west-European colleagues to solve the chaotic situation on the market. They are hiding their efforts to expel our shipping businesses from their markets behind their alleged care of the good of drivers. But they fail to realise that they are actually achieving the opposite and threaten the free market. I am very sorry to see that the discussion on the road package turned into pure political fight. We must realise that not only drivers and shipping businesses are at stake, but this is about the principle, the future of Europe and preservation of Europe's interests," Dlabajová closed her criticism.

Ťok was defending the rights of Czech shipping companies in Luxembourg

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 13:37:41 GMT

"The long disputes on social dumping and protectionist policies. The Czech Republic will continue acting in a constructive way and seek a dialogue with the western countries to find a compromise that is acceptable for everybody," minister Ťok said at the meeting of ministers.

The EU has been long divided over the topic of sending drivers abroad. The priority for the Czech Republic does not change: rules for sending workers abroad shall be taken out of international road traffic rules as much as possible. The case of the Czech driver who won the litigation in Germany and had his salary levelled out with the local rates may be the precedence for more disputes that may eventually affect big corporations who are ordering shipping to abroad.

"On top of that, if the new rules are too strict for the shipping businesses, they will start bypassing them, e.g. through the Schwarzsystem. The thing is that self-employed drivers are exempt from the rules," minister Dan Ťok adds.

The ministers also discussed connectivity in air transport where they managed to reach an agreement on the protection of competition in the air transport industry, allowing the EU to accept corrective measures in instances when an EU airline was damaged by a third country. Other topics included the drawing-down of the new CEF II scheme for 2021-2027 in which EUR 30.6 billion were allocated for transportation projects.

The Council also discussed the rights and duties of railway passengers, the support of combined transport and use of clean vehicles in the public sector.

The train trip from Prague to Tábor will not take only one hour

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 08:25:09 GMT

The modernisation of the Sudoměřice – Votice route is among the last pieces of the set of structures on the 4th transit corridor connecting Germany and Austria via Děčín, Prague and České Budějovice. A second track, two tunnels and a new railway stop Červený Újezd will be added to the existing single track. The construction works shall be completed in 2021. The train speed will to up to 160 km/h, which will cut the travel time for express trains between Prague and Tábor to one hour.

"The modernisation of the railway connection between the Central and South Bohemian Regions is exceptional due to its scope and technical challenges. At a time when almost no underground civil structures are under construction in the Czech Republic, the twin tunnels with a length of 1.5km are an important piece of civil work. And it will be the tunnels that will significantly reduce the travel time from Prague to South Bohemia, said the RIA CEO Jiří Svoboda.

OHL ŽS is the building contractor. "This construction project means for us that we can continue our long tradition of railway construction, apply our great experience in the construction of corridor projects and use our staff and machines in such essential domains as the railway superstructure and substructure, bridges, tunnels and roads.“ said the OHL ŽS CEO Roman Kocúrek.

A significant portion of the Sudoměřice – Votice route will leave the existing footprint, which shortens the distance by two km. The construction workers will build two tunnels – Mezno with a length of 840 m and Deboreč with 660 m. The existing stations Střezimíř, Ješetice and Heřmaničky will be consolidated into a single station Červený Újezd. Stops Mezno, Střezimíř, Červený Újezd, Ješetice and Heřmaničky will be added. Three long bridge estacades will be built in the deep valley between stops Ješetice and Heřmaničky. The longest of them will have 244 m.

The construction work started on May 1. Since then, plants have been cut, site equipment installed and access roads set up in the future route. Cut-and-covered and driven parts will be built during the next months on both new tunnels. Consolidation embankments will be made around the supports of the future estacades and small bridges will be built.

There will be only short (one-day) route closures during 2018. Specifically, this will happen in September and November when support buses will start operating in section Chotoviny – Olbramovice. A four-day closure is scheduled for March and April of 2019. In the spring of 2021 the section will be closed for one more week.

The total investment costs of project "Modernisation of the Sudoměřice – Votice Route" amount to CZK 7 159 049 000 excl. VAT. The application for co-funding of this project from the EU Cohesion Fund Operational Programme Transportation 2014–2020 was submitted by the end of 2017 to the EU. If approved, the EU can contribute up to CZK 5 151 794 403. National funding is provided by the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure.

Name of project	Modernisation of the Sudoměřice – Votice route
Investor	Railway Administration Authority, state organisation
Contractor	OHL ŽS
Length	19.9 km
New switches	13 units
Railway bridges, culverts and underpasses	48 units
Length of noise protection walls	2 205 m
Commencement	03/2018
Completion	08/2021
Total investment costs	CZK 7 159 049 000 excl. VAT
Expected EU contribution	CZK 5,151,794,403

One kilometre of the motorway is halfway less than 10 years ago

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 05:41:22 GMT

"In four years we opened a hundred kilometres of motorways or city bypasses. But mainly we are going to build new, and if we build 200 kilometres now, there will soon be another 150. It is certainly not true that we are building nothing. We have to focus mainly on speeding up the construction, the whole basic motorway network should have been already build, "says Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

Currently the most advanced is the completion of the South Bohemian part of the D3 motorway, namely 19 km long sections Bošilec - Ševětín - Borek, which will be completed next year.

"We plan to start building the continuation of the motorway towards Austria this year, in particular another 20 kilometres on the bypass of České Budějovice, the construction will be finished in 2022. The three remaining sections, with a total length of 24 km, bound to the border, and then the remaining five sections of the Central Bohemian part of the D3 motorway will follow, "says Minister of Transport Dan Ťok.

This year, there are plans to open another 40 km of motorways and 1st class roads, namely four modernized sections of the D1 motorway, the D7 section near Postoloprty or the sections of roads I/22 near Strakonice in the South Bohemian Region, in Ústí nad Labem region it will be in summer the road I/62 Děčín - Vilsnice or I/34 Rouštany - Pohled in the Vysočina region.

Over the past four years, the total investment in transport was CZK 385 billion. At the same time, the prices of newly built motorways are being reduced. While one kilometre averaged 342 million crowns in 2008, the price is currently 55 percent lower, with a kilometre for 152 million.

Currently, according to the interactive map of the Ministry of Transport and the ŘSD, 121 kilometres of motorways are under construction, of which the modernization of the D1, which is basically a construction of a new motorway in the same track, is 40 kilometres. 1st class road under construction is 72 kilometres in total.

The Brno railway node is to be by the river, the Central Commission of the Ministry has decided

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 30 May 2018 10:41:57 GMT

"The solution to the railway junction in Brno has been discussed for three generations, and I am glad that that both the county and the central commission of the ministry finally agreed that the most suitable option is the one near the river. The relocation will benefit Brno in particular and will make room for the organic development of its centre, "says Minister of Transport Dan Ťok.

The Brno railway node is currently overloaded, passenger and freight trains often have a problem passing through the city. In case of the high-speed line through the Moravian metropolis, the river option is more advantageous. The main railway station moves to the place of today's Lower Railway Station, but this solution is most suitable for further use of the railway.

The Central Commission's recommended project option is referred to as Option A - River. This option is based on a valid urban plan of Brno and consists in solving the transit of the 1st transit railway corridor in a common corridor for passenger and freight transport in the track of the existing cargo way. The existing passenger way is cancelled according to this option and the main railway station is newly located approximately on the site of the existing Lower Railway Station near the Svratka River.

Option A can be implemented in four possible alternatives, varying in the Chrlice line connection to the main railway station and in arranging routes from Břeclav and from Střelice to the main railway station. Each of the specific alternatives always combines one possibility of connecting the route from Chrlice and one possibility of connecting routes from Břeclav and Střelice.

The Central Commission decided to recommend the Ab option, where it is envisaged to link the route from Chrlice to the existing Komárovka link and then to the I. TŽK. The connection of the route from Břeclav and from Střelice is made in the directional arrangement in the area of the perimeter of the passenger station. Technically, this solution is made possible by the collision-free grade separation of the two mentioned routes in the southern part of Brno railway node. In the area of the main railway station and in the following section in the direction to Brno-Židenice, the relevant modifications of the rail are proposed.

According to the Central Commission of the Ministry, all projected options, both option A - River and option B - Petrov, are economically advantageous. However, a higher risk of modification of the railway node in the current arrangement is the necessity of changes in the planning documentation from Brno, which could endanger, delay or disable the entire implementation of the railway node. Due to this reason, the commission preferred the option near the river.

"Now, before the next step of project documentation, the Railway Infrastructure Administration will prepare a technical and economic revision of modifications to increase the throughput and stability of the Ab option model of freight transport, while respecting the needs of passenger transport to the extent approved in the feasibility study," says the Central Commission in its conclusion.

The Ministry of Transport is currently preparing a detailed report for the government describing the benefits of the selected option. The costs of the entire reconstruction of the railway node are estimated to be 43.1 billion crowns (40.8 billion the railway part, 2.3 billion for the related urban infrastructure).

The Central Commission of the Ministry of Transport is composed of representatives of the Ministry, the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure and concerning the topic of the Brno railway node also the representatives of the Railway Infrastructure Administration and the Mayor of Brno were present.

Conclusion of the CC negotiations:

The Central Commission claims that all submitted project options demonstrate positive EIRR and ENPV values.
However, the risk of impossibility to implement the project is crucial for the final selection of the option due to the need for changes in the town planning documentation.
Option B, despite their advantage in terms of financial analysis, are to a great extent threatened by a political disagreement with the fundamental change of the town planning documentation by the City of Brno.
Due to these reasons, the Central Commission gives priority to the Ab option, provided that:
The SŽDC will, prior to the award of the next stage of the project documentation, process the technical and economic revision of the modifications to increase the throughput and stability of the Ab option model freight transport while respecting the passenger transport needs in extent of the approved feasibility study.
The technical and economic revision will be discussed with the relevant departments of the Ministry of Transport, before and during the processing, and will be submitted to the Central Commission for determining of the following procedure.
The technical solution will be prepared in order to enable the SJKD to be implemented.

Ministry will provide 150mil. crowns from OPT to support building up of hydrogen filling stations

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 30 May 2018 10:35:06 GMT

The Ministry of Transport announces the relevant invitation on 30 May. The deadline for submitting applications will be October 17, 2018. Applicants engaged in economic activity in the areas of: distribution of gaseous fuels through networks, gas trade through networks, research and development in the field of natural and technical sciences, gas production, production of technical gases, electrical installations, electricity trade or electricity distribution and who will submit a project for the construction of hydrogen filling stations in the Czech Republic. The scope of the project depends on the applicant's deliberation. The maximum support from eligible expenditure can reach up to 85 % in this invitation. Submitted applications for support will be assessed in particular in terms of economy, readiness and relevance of the project.

"From this first invitation on hydrogen filling stations, we would like to support the construction of at least four to five stations from dedicated funding. This is how we would like to lay the foundations for the development of hydrogen mobility in the Czech Republic, "says Minister of Transport Dan Ťok.

On the basis of the Ministry of Transport's assignment, a study on the use of hydrogen in transport was made in 2017. The main conclusions of this study also include that at least 12 hydrogen stations are needed to develop hydrogen mobility by 2025, and that in this situation, it is expected that approximately 70 hydrogen buses and 12.5 thousand passenger cars will be operated. Also due to these reasons, already in 2017, the allocation of hydrogen station support from the originally planned 100 million CZK has been increased to 200 million CZK. The second invitation for the support of hydrogen stations (allocation of 50 mil. CZK) the Ministry of Transport plans to announce in the first quarter of 2019.

The National Action Plan for Clean Mobility, which was approved by the government already in November 2015, talks about supporting the development of infrastructure for charging stations, CNG, LNG and hydrogen filling stations. In total, the Ministry of Transport has allocated 1.2 billion crowns to the program for support of alternative fuels under OPD.

More detailed information on the terms of the support is part of the detailed documentation of the invitation, which is published on the website of the OPD Managing Authority: http://web.opd.cz/vyzva-39

This invitation for support of the development of hydrogen filling station infrastructure relates on invitations that are focused on supporting the construction of a backbone network of fast charging stations, supplementary networks of conventional charging stations for electromobiles and CNG, LNG filling stations.

More info: http://www.opd.cz/

The Ministry filed a complaint to the ÚOHS, contradicts the alleged doubts in the toll tender

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 23 May 2018 13:50:26 GMT

"The law does not prohibit the use of flash drives for large documentation of 95,000 documents. In a similar competition in Germany, a rewritable medium is used and no one is contradicting. The antitrust office says there are differences on data carriers with anonymized documents compared to flash drives with non-anonymized data. However, there should not be a comparison of only these two data carriers, which will logically differ, but separately a group of anonymized flash drives and, separately the second group of non-anonymized ones. It has to be added that Kapsch wanted us to black the data in the documentation, and then affronted the difference of the disks,” said Minister of Transport Dan Ťok.

The ÚOHS did not address the nature and character of the changes due to anonymization, according to the Ministry, the Office would find that it was not a substantive change, but the lack of a type of deletion of the title of the document which could not affect the tenders submitted. The Office merely stated briefly that the mere fact that the disks were not identical was capable of influencing the selection of the most appropriate tender, which the ministry considers to be a totally wrong legal conclusion.

"The Antimonopoly Office did not allow us to comment on comparing the data carriers at all, because they did not provide the results in the background papers for the decision. We could not even ask questions to hired expert. We also see procedural failure in the fact that the supervising authority itself has not been able to track for three months where the discs are and who has access to them. Therewithal they do not want to return the data carriers, which we have already contradicted in court, "adds Ťok.

At the same time, the ÚOHS, according to the ministry, mistakenly states in its decision that the contracting submitter has not set a range of charges from 2020 and also mistakenly states that it merely "expects" the extension of the toll by 900-kilometre on Class I roads.

"The extension of tolls on Class I roads is firmly provided in the tender dossier; on the contrary, objectively, as in the previous tolling tender in 2006, the number of all newly built motorways on which the toll will be collected cannot be accurately determined per kilometre. Therefore, it is a predicted estimate of the toll charged sections. However, we have already solved this with tenderers in their questions about the tender dossier. But this fact the antitrust authority did not take into account when deciding, "says the minister of transport.

At the same time, the Ministry objected to the bias of the chairman of the supervisory authority for his misleading and truth-inaccurate media statement, commenting on the ineffective first-instance decision of the Office; the Ministry does so for the purpose of possible review by the administrative courts.

The Ministry of Transport is already preparing for the Government an analysis of other alternative solutions which will ensure the continuation of toll collection after 2019 in the event of a definitive cancellation of the tender. The aim is to ensure the collection of tolls, which annually adds 10 billion crowns, at a lower cost than they have been so far.

For the inhabitants of Frýdek-Místek the construction of a bypass has begun

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 22 May 2018 12:01:48 GMT

In the spring of this year, three-quarters of voters did not believe in a local newspaper poll that the bypass would actually begin to build. "Building is important in terms of transport, we have successfully completed the competition and made it clear that we want to help people in the region. The state has fulfilled the word when it started to redevelop the ecological damp that is related to the bypass, "said minister of transport Dan Ťok.

At present, both the 2.3 km long D48 connection and the 4.2 km long first step of the bypass are under construction. They should be completed in April 2022. "The construction of the Frýdek-Místek capacitive bypass and the related connection of the D56 motorway will divert all transit traffic from the city to the bypass roads, which will significantly increase the safety and fluency of the road traffic. The key is the start of the second step of the bypass, where currently, unfortunately, the building permit is contradicted by one of civic association. Nevertheless, we would like to start this second step even this year, "introduced the construction Jan Kroupa, CEO of the ŘSD.

Local people have been talking about the bypass for over two decades, and they also organized demonstrations for initiation. The Frýdek-Místek passage is a noise heavy burden on the apartment buildings and is a source of frequent traffic accidents.

The D56 construction in Frýdek-Místek, connection to D48 is the completion of the western bypass of Frýdek-Místek in view of the D56 road and the continuation of the D48 Frýdek-Místek bypass construction. The construction of the bypass, together with the D56 motorway, will significantly improve the environment for the citizens of the city, speeding up transport.

The D48 motorway forms an important traffic artery in the West-East direction within the Moravian-Silesian Region. The communication connects the southern part of the Moravian-Silesian Region with Central Moravia and with Poland.

The D56 motorway forms an important traffic artery in the North-South direction within the Moravian-Silesian Region. It connects Ostrava with an attractive recreational site around the Šance water reservoir in the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mountains and with the Beskydy Mountains in general. It allows connection of the Ostrava region and the Slovak Republic through the border crossings Horní Bečva - Makov or Bílá - Klokočov.

The buildings are designed to be co-financed under the Operational Program Transport 2014-2020 from the Cohesion Fund and from the European Regional Development Fund. They managed to compete them for a quarter less than originally assumed by ŘSD: instead of CZK 2,896 billion, they would cost only CZK 2.169 billion (excluding VAT).

Currently, the department of transport builds 118 km of motorways and 75 km of 1st class roads in the Czech Republic. A total of 197 km of road constructions.

German Railways will lead the Krušné hory tunnel project of the future route Prague-Dresden

Odbor komunikace — Thu, 17 May 2018 08:29:35 GMT

"We are getting from political declaration to technical questions and designing. We have agreed that a 26-kilometre cross-border tunnel will be designed and operated according to German regulations, which will be regulated in an interstate agreement. For this purpose, a joint project team will be established at Deutsche Bahn Netz level and Railway Infrastructure Administration, "says Minister of Transport Dan Ťok.

Between the Czech Republic and Germany there is an increase in freight transport by rail as well as motorway, therefore the high-speed railway is a major priority for Saxon minister of transport, Martin Dulig. At the same time, he wanted to make sure that, as on the German side also in the Czech Republic, intensive preparations are being made and funding of the cross-border railway is ensured.

A feasibility study is under way which will assess the economic efficiency of the project by the second half of 2019 and will choose the resulting option of the technical solution for further project preparation. "By the end of 2018, the Railway Administrators will prepare a joint agreement governing the further development of the cross-border section and will also quantify the resources needed for preparation in 2019 and 2020," adds Minister Ťok.

The Czech Rail Infrastructure Manager, together with the Saxon Ministry of Economy, Labour and Transport, are cooperating on a new study co-financed by the Czech Republic - Free State of Saxony 2014-2020 Cooperation Program, which deals with specific geological issues in the future tunnel and transport relationship.

The new high-speed railway to Dresden, belonging to the priority connections, will shorten the travelling time between Prague and Dresden to one hour and simultaneously will take away part of the traffic from the overloaded conventional route in the Labe Valley. The construction of a new route from Prague to Dresden could start around 2030. Estimates of the cost of the entire route are around five billion Euros.

The tender for the construction of 32 km of the D4 motorway through PPP starts

Odbor komunikace — Mon, 14 May 2018 08:33:57 GMT

"Within three to six years, European funds for the construction of motorways will be significantly reduced. Therefore, we need to prepare for other funding models such as PPP. In the future we would like to build in this way in locations where we have a compact motorway section with a length of at least 30 km and get a valid planning permit. The D35 or D6 are among the candidates,“ says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

Applicants can file their applications until July 2, 2018. Then they will be evaluated and short-listed, i.e. reduced to four applicants based on the number of similar PPP projects they have completed. Four joint ventures with most PPP reference projects will be invited to competition dialogues and further negotiations with the contracting authority.

The Ministry of Transport assumes that about CZK 25 billion will be paid to the winner for the construction and operation of the motorway. Based on world-wide practices, the tender value was set as the total of nominal availability payments for the entire contract term. The final annual availability payment will be defined in a public tender. "The winning bidder will not only construct the motorway, but also monitor the work quality and ensure motorway operation and maintenance, because it must hand over the motorway to the state in a top shape," minister Ťok adds.

The government approved the minister's plan to build the remaining part of the D4 through PPP in January 2016 In the next year, the Ministry of Transport signed a contract with White&Case, Česká spořitelna and Obermeyer Helika that will help the state with preparing the project and selecting the concessionaire. Contrary to the expected project price of CZK 79 million, the state saved more than CZK 50 million thanks to the public tender for PPP consultancy services. The whole remaining section of the D4 already has legally effective planning permits and a new EIA statement is pending. Land purchases along the entire length of the remaining route continue as well.

Using the mobile phone while driving is the cause of every 14th case of damage covered by the compulsory insurance

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 02 May 2018 13:41:28 GMT

Paying not enough attention to driving is the most frequent cause of accidents (19.61%)*
This is the third most common offence of Czech drivers (after speeding and failure to wear the seat belt) **
The campaign of the Czech association of insurance companies, starting in the middle of May, shall change this behaviour of Czech drivers.
The traffic police of the Czech police directorate and BESIP of the Ministry of Transport of the CR are the project partners

Not only has the number of traffic accidents and their consequences, resulting from lack of attention to driving, been growing over the last years (only in 2017 it was 65 people who died on Czech roads as a result of little attention paid to driving), but also the behaviour of drivers has been greatly transformed. "Every day we will see drivers holding their mobile phone while driving, having a phone call or writing a message, which means they are not concentrating on the traffic situation," comments colonel Tomáš Lerch, the director of the traffic police service of the Czech Police Presidium. But when considering safety, the driver is influenced in the same way as is he/she had 0.8 promile of alcohol in his/her blood if having a phone call while driving.

"When writing a short text message, the driver will loose concentration within a few seconds. During that time and if going 50 km/h, he/she will have moved by 70 m, i.e. the distance of a football field. Whoever starts chatting while driving poses an extreme risk," adds Tomáš Neřold who is authorised with the management of a separate BESIP department of the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic.

"Modern insurance companies shall care about prevention. We believe it is important that they help their clients ensure that as little damage as possible is caused, because the best damage is the one which has never been caused," says the executive director of the Czech association of insurance companies Jan Matoušek. Every year, drivers on Czech roads cause up to 10 000 cases of damage covered by the compulsory insurance, the cause of which is their use of the mobile phone. The damage amounts to CZK 550 million.

The communication campaign of the Czech association of insurance companies mostly addresses emotions. It shows children gravely affected by the possible injury or death of their parents. The behaviour of drivers does not mitigate the risk they are exposed to, but the risk their family and close friends are exposed to.

"Even when an accident has already happened, one can better cope with damage cause to him/her. It is much more difficult to cope with hurting someone we care about. And this is exactly what we want to want to use,“ says Jan Matoušek about the campaign motives.

The campaign is funded from the Damage Prevention Fund where insurance companies pay 3% of their compulsory insurance premiums received under the applicable act*** and will cost almost CZK 40 million. Radio spots and an online campaign support two TV spots.

The Ministry will provide another CZK 100 million for the support of alternative fuel infrastructure

Odbor komunikace — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 06:54:15 GMT

The Ministry of Transport announces the call on April 27. The deadline for submitting applications will be September 17, 2018. Applicants from these industries can apply for the subsidy: distribution of gaseous fuels through networks, gas trading or fuel retail in specialised outlets and applicants who submit a project for the construction of CNG filling stations on the territory of the Czech Republic. The scope of the project depends on applicant's considerations. In this call, the maximum rate of support of eligible expenditure may be up to 60%. The subsidy applications will be evaluated particularly in terms of economic efficiency, readiness and project relevance.

"We would like to support the construction of at least five LNG filling stations, so that at least long-distance trucks can pass through the Czech Republic. These publicly accessible filling stations will be also used for domestic freight and/or buses", says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

The National Clean Mobility Action Plan, approved by the government in November 2015, envisages 5 LNG filling stations in 2025. The objective should be achieved earlier thanks to the contribution from the operational programme.

Besides the natural gas filling stations (CNG and LNG), the Ministry of Transport also wants to support the construction of hydrogen filling stations. The call for this domain will be announced still during the spring of 2018. In total, the Ministry of Transport allocated CZK 1.2 billion for this subsidy programme within the Operational Programme Transportation for the support of alternative fuels infrastructure.

More detailed information on the terms of the support can be found in the detailed documentation of the call published on the website of the control body for the Operational Programme Transportation: http://web.opd.cz/vyzva-38

This call for the support of the development of the LNG filling stations infrastructure follows some already open calls focused on the support of a backbone network of fast recharging stations and an additional networks of conventional recharging stations for electric cars and CNG filling stations.

Read more here: http://www.opd.cz/

The section speed control system is again watching reckless speeding drivers on the D1 motorway

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 07:09:32 GMT

"The majority of drivers do not take any risks and they keep the permitted speed of 80 km/h when safely passing through the motorway construction site. But we must, together with the police and competent municipalities that deal with the traffic offences, target and calm down these few speeding drivers who cause tragic accidents and traffic complications," says Dan Ťok, the minister of transport.

Speed measurements started on a D1 section between Velké Meziříčí (EXIT 146) and Lhotka (EXIT 153). More sections will receive the automatic detection camera system this year, e.g. between Ostředek (EXIT 34) and Šternov (EXIT 41) plus a six-km section between Hořice (EXIT 75) and Koberovice (EXIT 81). Speed measurements will also start between Jihlava (EXIT 112) and Velký Beranov (EXIT 119) depending on when the city of Jihlava purchases the detection cameras.

"Accidents that happen in the narrow sections of construction sites are mostly caused by drivers who do not manage their speed well, crash into the temporary crash barriers and block traffic in the section even for several hours. The section speed measurement system has proven well during the last two years, which is why we will use it again this year," says Tomáš Lerch, the traffic police director.

The section measurement system brought smoother and safer traffic on the modernised D1 motorway already last year. In the section Psáře – Soutice only 1.2% of drivers were speeding last year. Due to the high traffic intensity, the police recorded almost 50 000 offences.

Collaborating with the Road and Motorways Directorate (ŘSD), BESIP prepared a series of training videos how to correctly drive through the sections with restrictions. You can watch all these videos on facebook of the Ministry of Transport or on the YouTube channel of BESIP.

Building works on the modernisation of the D1 motorway between Prague and Brno are currently under way on five sections simultaneously. Traffic is guided through four lanes, two in each direction, on all these construction sites. You can find current information on where more modernisation works on the D1 will start at www.novaD1.cz. To see the list of major repairs and restrictions, check www.dopravniinfo.cz or call the ŘSD free hotline 800 280 281. The current construction sites can be found at www.mdcr.cz/mapa.

A motorway will connect the Czech Republic with Austria within 7 years, construction is starting

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 09:36:37 GMT

"All D3 sections from Tábor up to České Budějovice are completed or under construction and further sections which constitute the České Budějovice bypass are in an advanced stage of progress, so I believe we can start still this year or by the beginning of next year," said the transport minister Dan Ťok at the meeting.

The planning and building proceedings should start for the remaining sections towards the state border soon and drivers should be able to start using the South-Bohemian D3 motorway no later than in 2025. The connecting Austrian section – the S10 motorway – should be completed one year earlier.

Both delegations informed each other about the development of the railway connection between the two countries as well, particularly the corridor between Prague, České Budějovice and Linz where the introduction of two-hour regular intervals, as it is now planned, will bring more connection options in Linz towards Salzburg – Zürich. There are direct long-distance trains operating between Prague and Linz already now, with a travel time of four hours.

CzechToll and SkyToll shall be the new toll system operator from 2020

Odbor komunikace — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 06:49:26 GMT

Following the recommendation of the bid evaluation commission, the Ministry of Transport chose the CzechToll and SkyToll consortium also based on the conclusions of the project manager who evaluated the preliminary offer and recommended it as the best one, error-free and capable of operating the toll system. CzechToll and SkyToll also provided all information and inputs needed before the contract can be signed, in accordance with the public procurement law. Under this law, nothing was preventing us from announcing the tender winner", says Dan Ťok, the transport minister.

The consortium of these companies wins with the price CZK 10.75 billion excluding VAT and should operate the toll system from 2020 for another ten years. The expected value of the supply and the ten-year operation of the electronic toll system, including an extension of the network subject to toll by 900 km, was budgeted in the project as CZK 29 billion, which corresponds to the rates of the existing toll system operator.

This is however not the end of the electronic toll system tender yet. I notified the government that the Office for the Protection of Competition is reviewing the tender and we are not allowed to sign any contract with the winner. At the same time, we can expect that the loosing bidders will raise objections against the selection of the best bid. We except the contract to be signed in the autumn, so that the new operator has 14 months for preparation and subsequent take-over of the electronic toll system unless the whole procurement is cancelled," minister Ťok adds.

The Ministry of Transport also notified the government about their analysis of alternative solutions to the public procurement for the electronic toll system. According to this analysis, any other option but letting this existing procurement be finished is problematic, because implementation does not start before 2021, i.e. more than 18 months after the end of the contract with the existing toll system operator.

The Ministry of Transport announced the tender for the toll system operator after 2019 in June 2017 with such parameters as required by the government. The ministry says that the preliminary offers of four qualified bidders showed that the tender terms were comprehensible and allowed the bidders to file their bids.

The Ministry of Transport wants to sign the contract with the new operator until the autumn of this year. After that, the operator will have 14 months for the take-over of the system, for testing and launching the electronic toll from January 2020. The expected toll revenue from motorways and category I roads should be around CZK 140 to 150 billion during the ten-year term.

Please note: The public procurement law does not allow informing the public about the content of preliminary bids as part of the so-called "negotiation proceedings with publishing". This means that the Ministry of Transport cannot comment on or publish any details on the participants in the tender and/or more specific information on preliminary bids until the end of the procurement.

Around 450 pieces of advertisement equipment have disappeared along motorways

Odbor komunikace — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:05:36 GMT

Most advertisement equipment is being removed from the D1 motorway, but also from the D2 and D5 motorways. There are significantly less billboards along the D8 motorway. "If the owners and operators themselves wanted, there would not be a single illegal billboard left around motorways now," says the transport minister Dan Ťok.

The owners were supposed to remove illegal billboards until September 2017 – they had the whole five years for this. After that, the Ministry of Transport started with the big red tape process: calls for the removal of advertisement facilities along motorways and their close proximity in accordance with the roads act. Regional Road Administration Authorities started sending calls for category I roads and their close surroundings.

"The law says that nobody can just come and simply cut off the advertisement. A number of papers need to be provided for each piece of equipment, so that its removal cannot be legally questioned or challenged as damage to a foreign thing," says the transport minister and adds that the biggest help would be if the billboard owners removed them at their cost and so fulfilled their legal obligations.

Some owners obstruct the billboard removal for instance by deliberately changing the owner or registered office of the company operating the respective billboard. During the actual disassembly they will call the police, saying that the motorways maintenance workers are destroying their property.

MDCR.cz

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We wish you a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year 2021.

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