New Year’s Eve celebrations in Prague: Hundreds of police officers and traffic restrictions!
In view of the celebrations, the Prague rescuers strengthen the night service every year, and this year it will not be published. According to rescue service spokesperson Jana Poštová, they will be on the Old Town Square two ambulances with paramedics arrived. On Wenceslas Square, where the celebrations are traditionally the liveliest, there will also be two crews with rescuers, another with a doctor and, in addition, a Golem rescue truck with about ten medics. Additional people will be on standby in case of need, the spokeswoman added.
“Hundreds of police officers from law enforcement, foreigner, criminal, traffic services, anti-conflict team, special and regional law enforcement units will supervise safety and public order in the streets of Prague,” said Prague police spokeswoman Violeta Siřišťová. City constables will also assist the police. The police will focus, among other things, on enforcing the ban on the use of fireworks, which applies in the center of the metropolis.
Firefighters in Prague do not plan, according to spokesman Martin Kavka, they handle the celebrations in standard numbers every year. “We don’t expect anything extreme, so we don’t plan on strengthening. Some volunteer fire departments will be at their armories. If necessary, we will use them,” he said. He added that firefighters usually go out to dozens of smaller fires on New Year’s Eve.
Traffic restrictions
Because of the city’s celebration, according to municipality spokesman Vít Hofman will prohibit parking on Wenceslas Square from noon on New Year’s Eve until 10:00 a.m. the following day, from 16:00 to 08:00 it will not even be possible to drive there from Wilsonova, Jindřišská, Vodičkova, Štěpánská and Ve Smečkách streets. From 20:00 to 03:00, entry to Jáchymova and Pařížská streets in the vicinity of Old Town Square will also be prohibited.
Restrictions will also apply to the Charles Bridge area, for that reason, according to the spokesperson from 11:00 p.m. to 01:30 a.m. Smetanovo nábřeží and Křižovnická are closed to traffic up to the intersection with Platnéřská and from 9:00 p.m. to 02:00 a.m. on the other bank of the Vltava at Josefská street. “Boats of the security forces will be prepared on the Vltava, and there will also be places for providing first aid on both banks of the Vltava,” added Hofman.
This is how it was banging in Prague on New Year’s Eve midnight at the turn of 2019 and 2020. Photo by Amos Chapple
New Year’s Eve 2021 celebration in Prague
Author: CNC/Robert Klejch