Toll in Prague? The boletus hides the price list, says the ODS. Stop scaring, says the mayor
One week ago, in response to criticism from opposition representatives on social networks, Mayor Hřib published a paper in which he reiterated that the toll in Prague will certainly not be introduced in this election period. “The Prague ODS should stop scaring the people of Prague through its manipulative statements,” he added.
However, Hřib holds: “In the future, Prague will not avoid the myth. It is not possible to approve the circuit without this publicly known condition. “The mayor reminded the Civic Democrats that mayors Pavel Bém (formerly ODS) and Bohuslav Svoboda, who is currently the opposition representative, have already talked about the myth.
“In 2009, we will launch a pilot project and a year later a real project of charging for the entrance to the historic part of the city. Tolls. It will definitely not be popular, “Bém said in an interview with MF DNES in September 2007. At that time, he spoke several times about trying to get cars out of the capital city center. At that time, Prague had a study prepared by Deloitte, according to which motorists would pay 120 crowns.
Motivation for the desired change of vehicle fleet
According to Ernst & Young’s analyzes from March this year, the coalition of Pirates, Prague itself and the USA forces (TOP 09, STAN, KDU-ČSL) also counts on the same basic rate. Residents or owners of electric cars will have discounts, while owners of older vehicles will pay more. According to the municipality’s ideas, the toll system will “motivate the desired change of vehicle fleet” and should also work with “elements of dynamic pricing” so that drivers do not pay to get behind the wheel during rush hours and use public transport. The document on the climate plan also states that the toll should not be profitable – the money collected would therefore continue to be invested by the capital in the development of emission-free transport.
The ODS, led by Deputy Mayor of Prague 2 Alexandra Udženija, called the toll collection plan “audacity”. Hriba a spol. called for the publication of specific rates. “But instead the coalition is opting for trivialization, mystification and attacks on the ODS, so that the coalition will divert attention from the new tax on doing nothing, as we call tolls,” says Udženija.
Mushroom’s argument that mayors Bém and Svoboda agreed to the myth in the past is reflected by the Civic Democrats, saying that both politicians conditioned the toll on the completion of circuits (or at least the construction of P + R parking lots on the outskirts of the metropolis such as Stockholm) – 15 years ago at the City Hall the vision that the Prague Ring Road and the inner City Ring Road will be completed by 2011, perhaps 2013…
Reality? Completion dates are still promised, debates are held and politicians and officials accuse each other of blocking the completion of the Prague motorway ring road. “Lastly, the construction of section 511 (Běchovice – D1) was postponed also due to the mayor of the city district elected for the ODS, who filed an appeal against the zoning decision, although section 511 does not even interfere with its city district. The paradox is that one of the reasons for this appeal was that I personally strive for the circuit too much, and therefore the municipality can not decide on permission for the construction, “wrote Mayor Hřib in reference to last year’s decision of Prague 20 – Horní Počernice.
“The story of the mayor of the ODS is not based on truth, Mr. Hřib knows well that the council approved the resolution without the votes of the mayor for the ODS Petr Měšťan and councilor Jindřich Jukl,” replied Zdeněk Zajíček, chief of the ODS.
“Our coalition fully supports the completion of the circuit. However, it is necessary to take into account that the construction is carried out by the state, “Hřib concluded his contribution. In the discussions, there was a warning that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (YES) and his transport ministers have been promising the D0 ring road for eight years.
Mushroom: Let the ODS play fair play
According to Zajíček, on the other hand, Prague under the current leadership is neglecting preparation, the coalition is using “empty words” and people will have to wait longer than planned: “Municipality STAN) prepares unconceptual and significantly delaying changes to the spatial plan and the principles of territorial development. “
Mayor Hřib welcomes opposition criticism, but called on the Prague ODS to “play fair play without underbelts next time”. Zajíček et al. in turn, through the media, the ruling coalition asked several questions, which its representatives allegedly refused to answer – one of them concerns the publication of the toll tariff.
“Why do they refuse to publish it? Perhaps because Praguers would not agree with the myth in their own city? Or that daily commuters or schools from the Central Bohemian Region would protest? “The mushroom has said before that there is no price list. Moreover, the introduction of fees for the passage of metropolises is not yet supported by law. Prague would probably have to use its legislative initiatives.