The first PPP project in the Czech Republic is close to implementation. The Ministry of Transport signed a contract with White&Case, Česká spořitelna and Obermeyer Helika that will help the state with preparing the project and selecting the concessionaire. The objective is to complete the missing 32 kilometres of the D4 motorway between Příbram and Písek through cooperation between the private and the public sector. The private company would also be responsible for the operation and long-term maintenance of the new motorway.
The continuation of the ring road around Prague between Běchovice and the D1 motorway received the binding environmental impact assessment (EIA) statement. This way, the Ministry of the Environment gave green light to further preparation of the construction project. It shall start within three years. Opponents and land owners may obstruct the time schedule before construction commencement.
The Ministry of Transport repeatedly criticizes Kapsch for obstructing the process, with the aim of cancelling the toll tender before other bidders can come with bids that will show how far form competitive the current price is. The Ministry of Transport considers the action of the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS), i.e. the antimonopoly office, in checking the supply and operation of the toll system as highly extensive, raising doubts what the actual reason is.
By 2021 more than 125 fast-recharging stations for electric vehicles will be available to drivers in the Czech Republic. Their construction will be supported by the Ministry of Transport from European funds. Up to CZK 130 million for the support of the alternative fuel infrastructure can arrive from the Operational Programme Transport.
The Road Traffic Act defines the obligation to start using winter tyres from November 1 to March 31. In this period the vehicle must have winter tyres whenever there is a continuous layer of snow, ice or frost on the road surface, or whenever these phenomena can be expected due to climate conditions.
Today the trial operation starts in the emission measuring stations, during which mechanics were taking photos of the vehicles. The images will be stored together with the measurement results in the Information System of the Technical Inspection Station that communicates on-line with the Ministry of Transport. The same system has been used since last year in Technical Inspection Stations. The full operation starts on December 1.