November is once again bringing congested streets and noticeable traffic disruptions to the Czech capital. The city is now responding with a comprehensive package of measures designed to deliver both short-term improvements and structural reforms.
Traditionally, November ranks among the busiest months for traffic in the Czech capital – and this year the strain is clearly visible, both on the roads and in public transport. According to Zdeněk Hřib, Prague’s Deputy Mayor responsible for transport, however, this is not a short-term phenomenon. The current situation is rather the result of decades of backlog in construction and maintenance of infrastructure, rising vehicle numbers, and insufficient legal tools to coordinate road closures.
Although Prague still compares favourably to the European average in terms of traffic flow, Hřib sees a clear need for action. “Traffic jams place a burden on both residents and visitors to the city. It is our duty to counteract this systematically,” he stresses.
Faster Construction on Key Routes
In future, the city intends to place greater emphasis on shortening construction times. Hřib cites the recent modernisation of the Barrandov Bridge as a positive example, where the clear weighting of construction time in the tender process led to a significantly faster completion.
Clear Responsibilities for Road Closures
Currently, the decision-making structure in Prague is fragmented: some closures are approved by district authorities, others by the city council, and for sections of the Prague motorway ring, the Ministry of Transport is responsible. This complicates coordination.
“Sometimes it is barely understandable who is responsible for a closure. The system effectively operates on collective non-responsibility,” criticises Hřib.
Legal adjustments are therefore planned to give the city more influence over traffic coordination. In future, closures on the motorway ring should only be possible with a binding statement from the city council. At the same time, responsibility for traffic safety and flow should be clearly assigned to the relevant road authorities. The overarching goal is to give Prague greater control over traffic planning across the entire city area.
The city is also pushing for progress on the expansion of the Prague ring road. Without completion of this central transport project, the north-east of Prague will remain permanently overloaded. Financing, however, presents a major hurdle. “Prague cannot manage the ring road alone – especially as the city has already reserved billions for Metro D. Without strong state involvement, it will not be feasible,” Hřib stresses.
Following the appointment of a new Minister of Transport, discussions are set to begin immediately on accelerating the motorway ring and securing state participation in the city ring. Meanwhile, the city is already preparing geotechnical surveys – including exploratory tunnels that will later form part of the tunnel project. However, actual implementation remains unrealistic without state funding.
Data Rather Than Gut Feeling
In assessing the traffic situation, the city uses, among other tools, TomTom’s international traffic index. According to this, morning rush-hour travel times currently increase by a few minutes per ten kilometres – objectively not a collapse, but noticeable for hundreds of thousands of people.
“The subjective experience of being stuck in traffic is understandable – yet data help us make the right decisions,” says Hřib. The package of measures combines short-term interventions, legal adjustments, and long-term infrastructure projects. “This way, we can make progress step by step.”
