OVERVIEW: Transport news and innovations for 20252/1/2025|Press releasesThe year 2025 will be a year of continued “construction offensive” for everyone involved in transport and for users, further safety improvements on rail and road, continued digitalisation of transport agendas and public transport development. Construction, charging and transport budgets This construction offensive will continue, helped by a record transport budget of over CZK 160 billion. Správa železnic will have CZK 62.7 billion available next year, almost a billion more than this year, and a record CZK 39.3 billion will be spent on investments. Among other things, SŽ will start the construction of the first parts of the fast connections from Brno to Přerov at 200 km/h and will continue intensive preparation of high-speed lines and implement electrification projects. The Road and Motorway Directorate has CZK 80.6 billion ready for 2025, which is an extraordinary figure and a historical record. Thanks to these funds, construction will continue on the D1, D3, D6, D7, D11, D35, D48 and D49 motorways. The start of the D0 511 Běchovice-D1 construction as a part of the Prague Ring Road is also crucial. As of 1 January 2025, the annual fee for motorway use will increase to CZK 2,440. There will be a 30-day fee of CZK 460, a 10-day fee of CZK 290 and a one-day fee of CZK 210. All current types of digital motorway stickers can be purchased 30 days in advance at www.edalnice.cz or now also on the domain.gov.cz, i.e. edalnice.gov.cz. In 2024 drivers can start enjoying the more than 100 km of motorways opened. These are other sections on the D3, D4, D6, D7, D48, D49 and D55 motorways and rest areas on the D8 motorway (Klíčany). The Czech motorway network now counts 1,482 motorway kilometres. From 2025, another 88.5 km of motorways will be subject to the toll, including 18 km of D3 in the section Roudné-Kaplice nádraží (exits 141-159), the toll on D4 will be extended on another 39 km to Třebkov (compared to the original Háj), 9.5 km of the D49 motorway between Hulín and Fryšták will be charged and so will be another 22 km of the D55 motorway between Babice and Bzenice (exits 42-64). The funds collected, together with the toll for trucks, go back to the transport budgets for the necessary further network development and reconstruction. PPP projects As for PPP projects for the construction and operation of transport infrastructure by private entities, we have reached an important milestone in the past year with the opening of the D4 motorway between Příbram and Písek and with the decision of the government of the Czech Republic to work on other projects: - D35 motorway – the tender for the concessionaire is under way, it is now in the qualification phase; we have received applications for participation, which we have evaluated with a view to launchingthe competitive dialogue in early 2025. - Rail line to Kladno and Václav Havel Airport (PRAK) – the tender for the contractor (qualification) was launched on 27 November 2024 with the deadline for applications being the 14 February 2025. The qualification will be evaluated and the most qualified bidders shortlisted for the competitive dialogue. - RS Morava – following the recommendations of the feasibility study, the government approved the implementation of three specific projects of high-speed rail connections – Moravian Gate, South Moravia (high-speed line for 320km/h) and Moravia Centre (Brno – Přerov, with a conventional line with speed increased to 200km/h)). We are dealing with the property agenda on these projects and are preparing the selection of a transaction advisor to assist us with the tender for the concessionaire. - Selected sections D0, D3 and D55 – a feasibility study is currently being prepared to assess whether the PPP method is suitable for the implementation of these sections. The study is due to be completed in February next year and its results will be submitted to the government for approval. Digitalisation As of the end of 2024, information on the motorway sticker purchased will be added to each vehicle as part of the digitalisation of citizens’ Transport Portal. We want the Transport Portal to be a signpost for drivers/car operators, where they can find as much information as possible in one place. We will also work on getting the delivery of driver's licenses to dispensing stations or drop boxes, electronic payment of administrative fees and completion of the public part and redesign of the Transport Portal done by the end of the electoral period. In 2025 a total of 666427 driving licences will expire. We highly recommend that you apply for the replacement online on the Transport Portal. You can simply log in, e.g. via your Bank ID. Safety ETCS was launched on more than 600 km of rail lines in exclusive operation. In the second half of the year, the Road Transport Inspection should start its activities and legislation on autonomous driving should be ready. Checks in road traffic From July 2025, the Road Traffic Inspection (INSID), which arose from today's Road Transport Service Centre, but has greater powers, will start operating on roads across the country. It will primarily focus on compliance with the rules for driving trucks in the Czech Republic. • No new office is set up – the staffing remains the same and operating costs will be similar. • INSID will check for example the roadworthiness of vehicles, compulsory breaks and rest periods, carry out checkweighing, target tachograph fraud and the use of devices to prevent AdBlue admixture. • INSID will not be dependent on the Police of the Czech Republic or the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic for the inspections on our roads, especially of trucks. • Establishment of 2 new units focused primarily on measuring emissions in road traffic. • Establishment of 2 special units with a mobile technical inspection station for detailed inspection of the technical condition. Ø New powers for INSID after an amendment to the Act • Authority to impose fines through an order on the site and to collect bail bonds. • Authority to prevent further driving, to withdraw documents and license plates. • Authority to stop the vehicle. The competence of the Road Transport Inspection will be clearly focused on carriers and operators and drivers of vehicles used for the purpose of road transport business. This will particularly include checks of compliance with the conditions of access to the road transport profession, compliance with the requirements for driving time, safety breaks and rest periods, keeping records of these facts, the sending of workers as part of transnational provision of services, the transport of dangerous goods, compliance with the conditions of mass transport of passengers, as well as low-speed checkweighing, technical road inspections and checks of the cargo presence, correct attachment and securing. Attention will also be paid to checking compliance with driving restrictions for certain vehicles. Public transport Demand-based transport From the summer of 2025, legislation should be in place that will allow us to take full advantage of a new type of public transport: demand-based transport. We prepared this innovation on the basis of discussions with the regions, when we discussed possible adjustments to transport services in sparsely populated areas and outside the busiest hours. We also consulted with bus transport companies and operators of new apps for collecting transport orders and creating connecting bus routes. This is a new, specific type of public line transport, which will offer passengers transport services within a time range and in a specific area (i.e. not at a planned time and on a planned route, but in a certain area). The passenger thus orders a specific transport and the route of a given connection is set up on the basis of actual, individual orders. Carriers will therefore be able to use smaller vehicles than buses and passengers will be able to get off the bus not only at regular stops, but also in other locations if a vehicle with a capacity of up to 9 seats is used. Demand-based transport will allow municipalities and regions to respond flexibly to people's immediate needs. Increasing the number of quality checks on long-distance trains Next year we will increase the number of quality checks on long-distance trains funded by the government. From the beginning of the year, there will be more checks on fast trains ordered by the Ministry of Transport. The quality parameters of fast trains and express trains will now also be assessed by regional inspectors, who will work on the lines management in their individual regions. Cooperation agreements have so far been negotiated with eight regions and we are negotiating with others to strengthen these control activities and make pressure to improve the quality of the trains we order.