The study of the permanent closure of the center of Prague is almost complete. Councilor Adam Scheinherr wants to introduce her to coalition partners in a few weeks. The deputy mayor for transport believes he will persuade them to close the car center.

“Large cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Birmingham and Ghent are introducing pedestrian zones in the center on major car roads. I think we would like to go with this trend, “Scheinherr told the News List.

The closure concerns the passage through the Lesser Town and the Smetana embankment. Already in November, the passage was temporarily closed due to the necessary repairs of the tram line. Prague used the deadline to name the data on how much air quality improved and tram traffic accelerated, and how much it slowed down traffic at other key locations, such as exits from the Blanka tunnel or Ječná street.

“It was immediately apparent from the observations that it had a huge benefit for the gas of the tram transport, which is the busiest via Malá Strana, as well as on the Smetana embankment, through which the backbone lines lead. We know that there are many more people on trams and walks than cars, ”the result of Shcheinherr. According to him, closing the streets for cars will speed up travel for most people, because trams carry many more people than cars.

The study should also present “alternative scenarios”. For example, cars could drive through the Lesser Town and the Smetana Embankment when the Blanka tunnel complex is closed due to reconstruction or a traffic accident. According to Scheinherr, the document will be ready in a matter of weeks, after which a member of the Prague club will present it to his coalition partners.

“I hope I can convince them to go for it,” says Scheinherr.

And there may be a stumbling block. Perhaps Councilor for the Environment Petr Hlubuček (STAN) is a supporter of the closure of the center, his colleague and chairman of the representative club TOP 09 and STAN – United Forces for Prague Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09) is an opponent of restrictions.

“We will wait for the study, but in general we do not support the closure of the center. The closures will complicate the traffic situation in Prague. That was not what the voters promised. We would prefer the energy of professional transport to focus on investments, “Pospíšil told Seznam Zprávy. “When the circuit is ready, I can talk about closing, every expert will tell you,” he added.

The Mayor of Prague 1 Petr Hejma (STAN) for the List of Reports stated that he supports traffic restrictions, possibly even before the completion of the circuit.

“But the measures must be friendly to residents and must not restrict their movement in any way,” Hejma said. “No one from the capital city of Prague has yet informed about the planned measures,” he added.

Already in June 2015, the City Council approved resolutions requiring restrictions on transit car traffic in Malá Strana and the Old Town. Deputy Scheinherr also has a relationship with this distinction.

But the same resolution was approved by the City Council in 2013 under Mayor Tomáš Hudeček (TOP 09). However, the center for cars did not close. Even after the Blanka tunnel complex was put into operation in 2016.

Seven years after the resolution of the capital council, people continue to drive through the historic center. And the completion of the city ring is expected in more than ten years at the earliest.

According to Scheinherr, in the end, the attitude of Prague 1 is not crucial.

“These are the communications that are under our control,” concludes Scheinherr.