Transit fare hike on Prague public transport system

The Prague Town Hall has approved higher transit fares on the Prague public transport system. The cost of a single changing ticket is to go up by 6 CZK to 26 CZK (1.5 USD). The man in charge of Prague’s transport system, Martin Dvorak, originally wanted ticket prices to rise to 30 CZK, but this idea was vetoed by city councillors. Mr Dvorak and Prague Town Hall have reached a compromise with the 26 CZK fare, which is set to come into operation as of the 1st January 2008. A single non-transferable ticket will rise in price from 14 crowns to 18 CZK, while the cost of an annual travel card will rise as well.

Not everyone is happy with the solution, the Green Party have criticized the move, saying that it makes travelling by public transport in Prague more expensive, relatively speaking, than in New York or Paris. This is the first price rise to affect the capital’s public transport system since 2005.