Shared electric scooters in Prague 1 will soon be restricted to designated parking spaces, starting from September. The decision comes as a response to the issues arising from customers leaving e-scooters in inappropriate locations, including sidewalks and other public areas. The plan entails creating approximately 140 designated spots for scooter parking, with each location capable of accommodating up to 10 scooters. Additionally, a monthly fee for each scooter will be collected from the operators. Prague City successfully negotiated this agreement with all four vehicle operators, namely Lime, Bolt, Nextbike, and Rekola. As of now, e-scooters can be left anywhere within the operators’ designated zones, leading to disorderly parking practices. The city hall has already constructed around 40 designated parking areas for scooters, and this number is expected to increase to 70 by the end of the holiday season. Most of these spots will be strategically placed near pedestrian crossings, while an additional 70 locations, known as virtual spots, will not have any signage, ensuring that scooters won’t impede the flow of traffic. During the peak season, the downtown area is populated with approximately 2,500 scooters, a number expected to decrease to 1,500 once the new regulations are adhered to. Operators...
The Czech Republic is looking to expand its use of nuclear power, with utility CEZ launching another tender looking for companies to bid on construction of new reactors and generators at the country’s two existing nuclear power stations. The tenders come as a new research reactor, designed as a teaching tool for nuclear engineering students, has entered service in the country. The VR-2 research reactor was built in about a year, and comes online just less than a decade after the project was launched in 2014 by the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering (FNSPE) at the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague. CTU said the VR-2 reactor is located “in the same reactor hall as the VR-1,” a lightwater, zero-power research reactor using enriched uranium that has operated since 1990. CEZ in May of this year launched a tender to add two generators to the Temelin Nuclear Power Station, a 2,056-MW facility with two VVER-1000 units designed by Russia’s Gidropress. The units came online in 2000 and 2002. CEZ said its wants construction of the new generators at Temelin, representing an investment of about $160 million, to take place between 2028 and 2030. CEZ in March 2022 announced...
The Czech Interior Ministry is set to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees, offering them the possibility to remain in the country for another year until the end of March 2025. The proposed amendment, known as lex Ukraine, was presented today for inter-ministerial comments. This extension grants refugees access to public health insurance, education, and job opportunities. The authors of the proposal stress that due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it is improbable for these individuals to return home anytime soon. Working groups within the EU are reportedly supportive of extending temporary protection until March 2025. A political decision at the EU level is expected by the end of October. However, given the timeframe, the legislative process cannot wait for the official decision of the Council of the European Union, necessitating the timing of the amendment. Approximately half a million Ukrainian refugees have already been granted temporary protection in the Czech Republic, with about one-third of them having returned to their home country. As of June 18 this year, 344,800 people, primarily women and children, have been granted protection visas from Ukraine. Earlier reports indicate that around one-third of the refugees are children and young people under 18, while...
Tourism in Prague is making a strong recovery, approaching pre-Covid levels. František Cipro, director of Prague City Tourism (PCT), reported that this year, the number of tourists could reach 85 percent of the pre-Covid year in 2019, when almost eight million tourists visited the capital. Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09) added that it may take about three more years for the number of visitors to Prague to fully reach the pre-pandemic level. The Covid-19 epidemic caused a significant decline in tourism, with a 73 percent drop in visitors in 2020. However, the city’s efforts, together with PCT, to promote domestic tourism have been successful, leading to an increase in the number of Czech tourists in the last year. In 2020, Prague welcomed 2.18 million tourists, about 27 percent of the number in 2019. However, the domestic tourism campaign led to a surge in tourists, reaching 5.98 million last year. Mr. Cipro mentioned that, based on their findings, they expect about 85 percent of the 2019 visitor numbers this year, although the exact figures for July are not available yet. Looking ahead, Prague anticipates an uptick in visitors with the opening of direct air links from Seoul and Taipei. However,...
The mayor of Brno, Markéta Vaňková of the Civic Democrats, says she is ready to resign from the post in connection with a photograph of her and a white powder reminiscent of cocaine. Speculations about the substance being cocaine have surfaced, yet the photo’s authenticity remains unclear, with some claiming it might be a photo-montage. When asked about the photo on Monday, Vaňková stated that she was uncertain about its genuineness. Additionally, she admitted to occasionally consuming the legal substance HHC. The photo in question emerged on a Facebook account named “It’s a good thing Brno wasn’t hit by a car,” where Mayor Vaňková is seen standing alongside a group of individuals, including Brno city councillor Robert Kerndl, with a mobile phone containing white powder. Vaňková mentioned in an interview with TN.cz on Monday evening that she couldn’t determine the content of the powder or its authenticity. She further acknowledged that a similar situation might have occurred two or three years ago during a social event that went on late into the night. She told the station that if her colleagues at Brno City Hall believed she should quit she would do so. In concluding her statement, Vaňková disclosed her...
BNI, the world’s leading business networking organization, announced the highly anticipated Summer Networking Evening in Prague. This event aims to bring together entrepreneurial minds from the Czech Republic and abroad for an evening of networking, inspiration, and business growth. Scheduled to take place on August 17 th, at Spojka Karlin, the BNI Summer Networking Evening promises to be a gathering of like-minded individuals who are eager to unlock new opportunities, forge valuable connections, and propel their businesses to new heights. With the motto “Connect, Collaborate, Succeed,” the BNI Summer Networking Evening offers a comprehensive program designed to facilitate interactions and drive impactful business outcomes. The evening will kick off with a brief introduction session, providing each participant with an opportunity to showcase their entrepreneurial ventures and connect with fellow attendees. To maximize networking opportunities, the event will feature two highly interactive sessions of guided speed networking. These focused sessions will allow guests to delve deeper into specific aspects of their businesses, exchange ideas, and establish valuable contacts within their industries. “We are thrilled and very much looking forward to the Summer Networking Evening” said Diana Masopust, National Director at BNI Czech Republic. “This event represents a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs...
The Railway Administration recently unveiled visualizations of the upcoming Prague-Bubny railway station, set to be completed within two years. The station will be an essential component of a new district that is planned for the area. By 2025, the new station building will be fully constructed. Looking further ahead, Bubny has grand plans for the future, envisioning a substantial district development by 2040, which will also include a new railway line connecting the area. However, before the district comes into existence, the focus is on the timely completion of the Prague-Bubny station, and construction has already commenced this year. The Railway Administration released new visualizations, demonstrating the progress made. Jiří Svoboda, the director general of the Railway Infrastructure Administration, provided updates on the station’s development, assuring that construction is proceeding smoothly and according to plan. Presently, construction workers are diligently working on the station’s foundation, employing various techniques like drilling and laying concrete. The modern and architecturally designed station by Jakub Cigler aims to enhance accessibility, fostering better connectivity with the city and facilitating seamless transfers to the metro and tram services. Apart from the station, there will be significant upgrades to the railway infrastructure. Specifically, the Prague-Bubny section will...
The Czech economy grew slightly on a quarterly basis in the second quarter, showing signs of recovery as domestic demand rose while inflation pressures eased somewhat, preliminary data showed on Monday. The Czech data was the first in central Europe to show second-quarter developments, with a quarter-on-quarter rise of 0.1% after stagnation in the first quarter, and a year-on-year drop of 0.6%, a touch more than expected. While the Czech Statistical Office did not give a breakdown of the data, it said domestic demand contributed to growth and household consumption stagnated on a quarter-on-quarter basis. Since last year, central Europe’s economies have been hit by the strain of high prices cutting sharply into consumer activity, hitting growth sharply. Only slight relief is expected in 2023. Inflation in the Czech Republic fell to single-digit levels at the end of last quarter and the central bank is expecting it to cool further later this year. But interest rates remain high and the central bank is showing no rush to cut borrowing costs. Capital Economics said the data showed the recession the country felt at the end of 2022 was over but a recovery would be weak this year. “The recovery is likely...
The “Enjoy Respect Prague” campaign launched by Prague City aims to educate tourists about respecting the city and its inhabitants. With around a hundred posters displayed in the city center during August, tourists will be informed about the rules they must follow. This year, the focus is on combating the exploitation of exotic animals. Tourists have often encountered individuals offering photos with exotic animals for a fee, but Prague’s patience has run out. To prevent the city from becoming a “pigsty,” the campaign’s rules and warnings will be placed on advertising sites managed by the city, including the metro areas, starting from August 1. The campaign emphasizes responsible behavior from tourists, urging them not to disturb Prague residents, damage monuments, or disturb other tourists. A major visual of the campaign highlights the mistreatment of animals, particularly cautioning against attractions that exploit wild animals. According to the Deputy Mayor of Prague, many involved in this illegal activity possess exotic animals protected by international regulations. Tourists taking pictures with these animals contribute to animal cruelty for profit, even causing suffering for the animals involved. By discouraging tourists and residents from participating in these attractions, the campaign seeks to reduce such cases and...
The eleventh edition of the Signal Festival of Light is scheduled to take place on the streets of Prague from October 12 to 15, 2023. During these four days, citizens will have the opportunity to witness around twenty captivating light installations, along with video mapping, which will be projected onto the facade of one of the capital’s renowned landmarks. The detailed program and an installation map will be made available on the official event website at a later date. Signal is one of the most eagerly awaited annual festivals in Prague, attracting over 500 thousand visitors during the four days of the event last year. The festival has become the biggest cultural event in the Czech Republic. Its unique integration of art, city space, and modern technology has drawn over 2 million attendees to Prague overall. Although the venues are not always the same, in the past they have included Republic Square, Old Town Square (Kinsky Palace), Rudolfinum, Shooters Island, National Theatre, Kampa Park, Peace Square and Prague Castle. Lately, they’ve gone out to Karlin as well and instead of a start and finish they now have different circuits. The financing of the festival is drawn from the support of grant programs such as...
Anthony Braxton , who turned 78-years-old in June, is premiering a section of his long-term multimedia opera project, the Trillium cycle, performed by the Prague Music Performance Orchestra with Braxton’s participation. The concert will be on August 1, at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. Anthony Braxton is an extraordinary American composer, collective improvisation musician, and a university music educator who has had a profound influence on the development of free jazz, improvisation and experimental music. He performed for his first time in Prague in 1986, playing jazz, and he has kept this region in his heart, as an inspiration and open for collaborations ever since then. Braxton (born 1945 in Chicago) has always been part of the experimental side in Black avant-garde music initially by joining the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) in Chicago. He is influenced as much by free jazz pioneers, John Coltrane and Albert Ayler, as well as melodic saxophonists Warne Marsh (cool jazz), and Paul Desmond, who played with Dave Brubeck, and the contemporary classical composers including Stockhausen, John Cage, and Charles Ives. But it is this foundation, merged with opera within classical music forms that has been his most ambitious project for...
The channel CT24 reported that the Czech authorities have frozen the assets of Russian oligarch Vladimir Yevtushenkov. According to Czech media, Yevtushenkov secretly controls an electric dryer company and owns the Savoy Westend hotel in Karlovy Vary. The total property of the Yevtushenkov family in Karlovy Vary is valued at 500 million Czech crowns (about $23 million). Yevtushenkov was put on the Czech sanctions list in June 2023. He is also under sanctions from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ukraine. Forbes estimates Yevtushenkov’s fortune at $1.7 billion, claiming he still owns a 59% stake in the Sistema conglomerate, which operates several large Russian businesses including telecoms provider MTS and online retailer Ozon. In April 2022, Yevtushenkov reduced his stake in the company to 49.2%, transferring 10% to his son Felix and thus ceasing to be a controlling shareholder. His son and his wife are also on various sanctions lists.
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