Prague Bus Stops Could be Signposted from This Summer

Prague’s bus stops could all be on request from summer. Each time a bus stops and starts costs one crown, says city’s transport planning organization Ropid.

Prague is therefore proposing that all buses in Prague’s public transportation should stop only on signal from the summer.

The aim is to shorten intervals, reduce noise and pollution, and improve traffic flow. The change would also save fuel and money. However, it may be inconvenient for people with reduced mobility.

The trial operation could start on Saturday 29 June.

There are now about 2,500 bus stops in Prague, 69 percent of which are on request. Since 2011, if a passenger stands at a bus stop on request, the passenger does not have to give the signal, but the driver is obliged to stop.

All on-request stops are already in operation in some foreign and Czech cities.

According to the document, the advantages of on-request stops are shorter intervals, lower fuel costs, and a smoother ride for passengers. Buses stopping and starting less often would also damage the roads less at stops, and noise and emissions would also be reduced.

Many signs could then disappear from timetables, and they would be clearer.

The change would also mean cost savings, as each stop and start costs one crown. According to Ropid, the annual savings would amount to an estimated CZK 5 million. Buses that do not have to stop as often also consume less diesel.

On the other hand, the proposed change may be a disadvantage for people with reduced mobility. To stop the bus, they would need to signal to the bus driver in time, just as parents with prams do nowadays. This would mean placing enough buttons on buses.

There is also the risk of many unnecessary stops, where the driver has to maintain the schedule, so to speak, to avoid leaving the bus stop early. It could also be a problem for the driver behind schedule, as if the passenger is not at the stop, the driver does not have to stop.

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