PRAGUE

Mega kitsch! Thai paradise in the center of the metropolis bothers people. Prague demands “better cards”

“Scandal! A city that allows this must be crazy! ”Wrote the angry inhabitants of the metropolis. Well-known photographer Jan Šibík shared the film on social networks with the description “Mega kitsch – Thai massages in the Old Town Square”, other discussants wondered how something similar could pass through conservationists. There were also nostalgia for entrepreneurs who used to have great difficulty in obtaining permits to renovate their shops or cafés.

Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) is also dealing with the case. The municipality is investigating whether Thai Paradise has violated the established rules. However, even without this “glaring” warning at the time of the infectious covid-19 epidemic, these operational long-term diseases are that the coalition of Pirates, Prague itself and the United Forces (TOP 09, STAN, KDU-ČSL) is trying to solve in the fight against visual smog. Following the example of Brno, the management of the metropolis, led by councilor Hana Třeštíková (Prague to herself), is preparing a manual for public space, which she wants to present in June.

In response to the current outrage of the public, Kristýna Drápalová, coordinator of the municipality for visual smog and assistant deputy Petr Zeman (Prague to herself), who chairs the committee for territorial development and monument care, published a text on Monday revealing the background of negotiations with Bombayere, a massage and relaxation company. salons.

How could this pass through conservationists?

“Thai paradises are old acquaintances. One usually describes the stories of one’s success – but the story of the Thai paradises is (so far) a story of losses. However, it makes sense to tell it, because it points to one serious problem: the Czech state usurps many of the powers that typically belong to cities abroad – and then coughs at them, “Drápalová wrote in a long Facebook post. According to Drápalová, an entrepreneur from Teplice uses the services of a skilled lawyer, who is also the company’s executive, as well as various contacts for important people.

“Looking at the flashing red-green panopticon, one first asks how something like this could have passed through the conservationists. After all, they also check the window handles – how can they leave something like this in the city? First, conservationists are not police officers. They can’t come, show their ID and say that this has to disappear within the hour, “the magistrate continues.

Drápalová claims that due to legislative obstacles, the effort to eliminate unsightly advertising becomes a long-distance run, which is limited by 30-day deadlines, legal regulations and can solve individual cases in court for several years.

Prague has begun to do nothing even against rickshaws, which in front of Thai paradises serve as an attraction for customers. According to ministerial officials, they are not as advertising as a car with a waterman inside, which has a valid parking permit and can be in the paid parking zone without fear of towing.

Poor powers from the state

The legal authorization allows local governments to regulate advertising “distributed in public spaces outside the premises”. However, if the seller places signs on the inside of the door, it is part of the establishment according to the law – even if they are open to the street during opening hours. Drápalová adds that the municipality does not have much money against handing out leaflets either. Checks by city police officers usually do not make sense, in administrative proceedings there is a risk of a fine. “You’ll make money in an hour. And you have employed army officials for tens of hours, “says Drápalová.

“The powers that the state is currently entrusting to the cities are, to put it mildly, poor. It’s like playing raining when you only have eights and underpants in your hand, when everyone around you has aces and sevenths. Municipalities deserve better cards. At least those that will make it possible to solve local problems at the local level, “concluded the representative of the municipality.

For sustainable and neighboring Prague

Her words are indirectly confirmed, for example, by the efforts of Hřiba a spol. for a ban on so-called beer rounds, which, despite various appeals and ministerial interventions, was not achieved until several months later. Among other things, the signatories of the calls also complain about Thai massages For sustainable and neighboring Praguesupported by Senator Vaclav Hampl.

Over thirty civic associations and environmental organizations address the document to the capital’s management, representatives of city districts and the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) and ask for experience with the coronavirus crisis to improve life in Prague. Point 4 describes the sponsorship of “local businesses and services that take care of the daily lives of the population”. According to the call, in the center of the metropolis, customers will rather not find household needs and will not even find a quality hardware store.

“Ordinary shops are disappearing, but hemp lollipops for fifty crowns or ‘Old Bohemian’ trdelník can be bought on every corner. However, matryoshka dolls, fake crystal or Thai massages do not represent Prague or the Czech Republic and they flood the city with visual smog. Even the tourist offer can be tasteful, ecological and high-quality, “write people who fight against” bloated “tourism.

Related Posts