Trucks end in Prague. Councilors approved a ban on their entry into the metropolis
Prague councilors approved the intention to ban trucks from entering the capital, restrictions would have to apply to vehicles longer than 12 meters from the beginning of 2017. Restrictions should not apply to traffic services, exceptions will be granted by city districts. The capital wants to consult with the Ministry of Transport and the Central Bohemian Region. According to the opposition TOP 09, however, the ban does not solve anything, 80 percent copy the current situation. The measures were also criticized by representatives of carriers.
The Prague City Hall intends to ban the entry of trucks longer than 12 meters due to the exclusion of the completion of the Prague ring road between the D1 and Běchovice motorways from the list of projects to obtain the EIA opinion in the accelerated procedure, ie the environmental impact assessment.
“Transit restrictions for selected trucks are within the competence of the capital, and in this case we understand the efforts of the Prague management and agree that the trucks do not belong to the metropolis,” said Minister of Transport Dan Ťok. According to him, during further negotiations with the municipality, the Office will push for the ban not to apply, for example, to the part of the city ring road between Spořilov and Běchovice. According to him, the expulsion of trucks from this road would cause serious traffic complications.
Carriers as hostages, says Česmad
The association of road hauliers Česmad Bohemia commented more sharply on the proposal. According to the association, Prague is held hostage by carriers and companies that have warehouses and other operations in the city that need supplies.
Or most was promoted by Deputy Mayor Petr Dolínek from the CSSD, which wants it to take effect from the beginning of next year. According to him, the proposal will be prepared only in August in cooperation with the Technical Administration of Communications and other experts. City districts will comment on it in September. The decree is then the Prague Post Office of the Central Bohemian Region, which should determine the routes for trucks in its territory.
The city will judge cars by length because, for example, when building houses, companies use concrete mixes that are shorter than 12 meters but heavier than 12 tons, which is a more common method of regulation. According to Dolínka, due to the success of the money, the city will try to use the posts of existing traffic signs as much as possible to mark the ban.
Prague is reacting to the removal of part of circuit number 511 from the list of 11 priority constructions that would receive an EIA assessment in an accelerated procedure – a new decision by the government and the Ministry of the Environment would suffice. According to the Minister of the Environment Richard Brabec (YES), the building does not yet have a zoning decision and its approval will still be difficult, various associations are expected to enter into negotiations. Therefore, the construction should be decommissioned, which could postpone the construction for another four years.
“Based on consultations with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, a letter will be sent to Minister Ťok this week, in which Prague and the Central Bohemian Region jointly call on him to enter a new environmental impact assessment (EIA) as soon as possible and existing routes and exclude all alternative solutions,” he told CTK. in response to today’s decision of the Prague Council, Governor Miloš Peter (ČSSD) of Central Bohemia.
TOP 09: The trucks will continue on the South Junction
According to the chairman of the opposition club TOP 09 Václav Novotný, the planned ban is only a meaningless step. “Trucks will continue to drive on the South Junction, Industrial or around Spořilov. They will not drive to the surrounding streets, which they usually do not do anymore due to other bans, “Novotný told reporters. According to him, about 80 percent of the ban copies the current state.
The Prague ring road should have a length of 83 needed after completion. At present, 41.3 kilometers are completed. Section 511 measures 12.5 kilometers. Now the section from D1 to D5 and several cases in the east near Černý Most are needed.