New Traffic Restrictions in Prague’s Petrská čtvrť: Through Traffic Set to Be Significantly Reduced

New traffic signs in Prague 1’s Petrská čtvrť are intended to significantly reduce through traffic and clarify access rules in the area. The aim of the measures is to noticeably ease pressure on the narrow residential neighbourhood in the historic centre.

The installation of new additional traffic signs began on Tuesday in the Petrská čtvrť (St. Peter's Quarter) in Prague 1. The measures are intended to provide clearer rules for vehicle access to the densely populated residential area and significantly restrict through traffic. They form part of the city’s long-term efforts to calm traffic in the historic centre.

Under the new rules, a driving ban will apply to all motor vehicles within the designated area, with exceptions for integrated emergency services, public transport, residents with valid Prague 1 parking permits, as well as delivery and service vehicles.

According to the district, through traffic in particular has placed a heavy burden on the Petrská čtvrť for years. Earlier traffic surveys reportedly showed that up to two-thirds of vehicles driving through the neighbourhood had no destination there and were merely using the streets as a shortcut.

Foto: Petrská čtvrť | Kudy z nudy

“The Petrská čtvrť is not an urban bypass route. It is a vibrant residential part of Prague 1, and that is exactly how we must treat it,” said Prague 1 Councillor for Transport Vojtěch Ryvola. The aim of the new signage, he added, is to reduce unnecessary through traffic while continuing to allow access for residents, public transport, cyclists, emergency services and authorised vehicles.

The district administration said the situation becomes particularly problematic when the embankment roads along the Vltava are congested. Many drivers then divert onto the narrow streets of the neighbourhood. The new regulations are therefore not aimed at residents or visitors with legitimate reasons to enter the area, but exclusively at transit traffic.

The city also expects the new traffic regime to reduce noise, emissions and the general traffic burden in residential streets. In addition, navigation apps are expected to stop offering the neighbourhood as a regular through route in future.

The traffic-calming measures in the Petrská čtvrť follow earlier steps introduced in the centre of Prague 1. Since summer 2024, night-time access restrictions have already been in place in parts of the city centre, including the areas around Revoluční, Celetná and Pařížská streets, as well as along the Vltava embankment.

The city now plans to monitor and evaluate the effects of the new traffic regulations in practice. The goal, officials said, is to establish clear and understandable rules while respecting the daily lives of people who live and work in the neighbourhood.