Photo: Michaela Danelová, iROZHLAS.cz
When walking through the heart of Prague today, one might notice electric scooters that often litter the grounds of the city’s historic centre. Bolt and Lime scooters are used in many cities across Europe, although Paris has just recently banned them. On Czech soil, the Prague 1 municipality has been taking steps to limit the use of these scooters in the historic centre. To learn more about the measures being taken, I spoke with the district’s head spokesperson Karolína Šnejdarová:
“Our district is taking action mainly because of the poor parking of these shared scooters. However, since September 1st, 2023, there has been a change in zone parking, meaning that parking wherever you can is no longer allowed in Prague 1. Spot parking has been introduced meaning defined parking spaces have been set. This has improved the situation, but there are still some people – mainly tourists, who do not mind the 500 crown fine for each incorrectly parked vehicle.
“They put the vehicles wherever they physically can, especially at night. The historic centre of Prague is one of the few protected by UNESCO, and this is also why we try to preserve the original character of our entrusted area. Cobblestones in this area also make scootering unpleasant and difficult but riders still often drive very fast causing traffic problems and endangering pedestrians, children, and the handicapped. The municipality appealed to the operators of the shared scooters and they placed a notice on the handlebars of the scooters warning people not to ride on the pavement, but some people still do not comply.”
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Author: Amelia Mola-Schmidt