Prague officials are once again debating how to ease pressure on the city’s historic core, with a new proposal to restrict vehicle access during the peak tourist season.

Deputy Mayor Jaromír Beránek, a member of the Czech Pirate Party, plans to submit a measure that would temporarily limit traffic in key central areas during the summer holidays.

The proposal targets parts of the city around Malostranské náměstí and sections of Smetana Embankment along the Vltava River.

Under the plan, transit traffic would be blocked from passing through selected routes on both sides of the river, a move intended to reduce congestion, noise and pollution in one of Prague’s most visited districts.

The idea follows earlier efforts by the Pirates to introduce entry fees for cars in the city center — a measure that was ultimately rejected by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic.

However, the latest proposal has met resistance from local leaders. Transport councilors representing seven Prague districts issued a joint statement warning that the restrictions would fail to address the root of the problem and instead shift traffic to other neighborhoods.

According to the statement, redirecting vehicles away from the center would increase congestion in already strained areas, including routes linking districts such as Prague 2 and Prague 5. These districts, officials say, are not equipped to absorb additional traffic volumes.

Local representatives emphasized that they support long-term efforts to calm traffic and preserve the historic center, but argued that such measures must be coordinated across the entire city.

In their joint response, district councilors also expressed frustration that they learned about the proposal through media reports rather than formal consultation.

They warned that the impact would extend far beyond the city center, affecting traffic conditions across the capital without delivering meaningful improvements in quality of life.

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