“Nowadays people talk mainly via phones, SMS messaging, emails and other virtual means of communication. This step is to encourage them to make a face to face connection,” stated Mr Jiří Pařízek a Transport Councillor.

Notice boards up

“Communication wagons will be available to everybody not just those who are interested in meeting someone new. Therefore the transport capacity should not be affected. This is a pilot project and we will evaluate peoples´ feedback after some time,” claimed Mr Jaroslav Ďuriš a general director of the DPP (Prague Public Transport Company). There will be notice boards at metro halls each Saturday as a reminder about the communication wagon. The only expense was to cover the printing costs.

Any conversation topic

Passengers can provide feedback about their experience via the DPP Facebook page. “The page will be the main evaluation tool for the project. After our intention went public 80% of people expressed positive opinion,” stated Mr Ďuriš. In terms of conversation topics people can chat about anything. It is like spending time with somebody in the pub, a theatre, the woods, or while running in the Stromovka.

Dating in metro

The first evaluation took place at the DPP website. 80% of respondents liked the idea, 32% stated they met a new friend or even a new love in metro, and more than half of respondents (61%) agreed that people nowadays prefer virtual communication to face to face contact. “Communication wagon” aims to challenge this trend.

“Communication Wagon is the first project of its kind. It will take place on the least busy metro line. The train does the journey (10.995 km with 13 stops) in over 21 minutes which is the shortest time of the three metro lines.