30 October 2024 – Czech astronaut and army fighter pilot Aleš Svoboda is now beginning the first phase of his training as a backup member of the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut team. This milestone came symbolically on the day when we commemorated the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state, and underlines not only the growing importance of the Czech Republic in space missions, but also the ambition of the Czechs to contribute to technological progress in high value-added fields.
The Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with the Association of the Automotive Industry and the Association of Car Importers, has prepared an amendment to the law that will allow the application of current technical capabilities of cars sold in the Czech Republic and the EU. The amendment will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies for consideration in November.
ŘSD, the Road and Motorway Directorate, started construction of the D11 motorway section from Trutnov to the state border with Poland. It is the largest motorway contract in the history of public tenders of the Road and Motorway Directorate. Work on the 21.2-kilometre-long section will cost CZK 11.7 billion excluding VAT and will take 3.5 years.
The Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with Správa železnic, presented to the government the current status of the Fast Connections project in the Czech Republic. This long-term plan modernises, develops and strengthens the capacity of the Czech railway, which will significantly reduce travel times. The first investments, which are part of the high-speed lines plan, will be launched next year in the sections Nezamyslice-Kojetín and Kojetín-Přerov.
Europe needs a systematic change towards decarbonisation and needs to respond more flexibly to the current state of industry and market developments. This is key to strengthening the competitiveness of Europe and Czech businesses, reducing strategic dependence on China and maintaining jobs in the industry.
The impact of the ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines must be revisited as soon as possible, so that the European car industry can stay competitive, safeguard jobs and ensure the availability of transport. Transport minister Martin Kupka is convinced of this.