Public Transport Heatwave: Only One-Sixth of Prague’s Trams Are Air-Conditioned

More than half of Prague’s 1,189 buses and just 127 out of 771 trams currently have air conditioning.

Ongoing fleet upgrades and new purchases are gradually increasing these numbers, according to the latest updates from the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP).

Prague Integrated Transport (PID) guidelines require air conditioning to be activated when outdoor temperatures reach 22 degrees Celsius.

At present, around 60% of the city’s buses are equipped with air conditioning. DPP purchases 100 to 120 new buses annually, which steadily increases the proportion of climate-controlled vehicles.

Among trams, only some of the Škoda 15T ForCity models are air-conditioned. Although a previous city council approved the installation of air conditioning in the remaining 124 trams of this type, the plan was later scrapped due to technical and legal hurdles.

Instead, DPP signed a framework agreement for 200 Škoda ForCity Plus 52T trams, valued at CZK 16.6 billion. These new trams will come equipped with air conditioning, but so far, DPP has committed to purchasing just 40 of them.

How to Identify Air-Conditioned Trams in Prague

All Škoda 15T4 trams come with onboard climate control. These trams are easily recognized by the yellow plastic inserts in the front section.

Another way to find out in advance when a tram or bus with air conditioning will arrive at a stop is by using the official online map of the Prague public transportation system, which shows the real-time location of all operating trams and buses.

Simply enter the desired route in the corresponding field, and the map will display all the buses or trams operating on that route. Then, click on the one that is closest to your desired stop and check if there is a “snowflake” icon in its description.

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