The metro has already been running for a month without passengers. Now it will serve Prague residents. Apart from City Councillors, the ceremonial opening was also attended by Premier Bohuslav Sobotka, who received a round of applause when he announced that the government should contribute to the construction of the Metro system in Prague. It’s worth noting that the last time government money went into Metro construction was before 1989.
What about the “D” line?
Sobotka was referring to the planned “D” line, which will be much more expensive than the recent extension by four stations which cost 20 billion CZK. How was the announcement greeted by Deputy Mayor for Transport, Petr Dolínek? “I’ve said before that I’d like Prague to contribute 25% of the total sum. Prague just can’t manage such a huge investment as the new Metro line, but for the government it wouldn’t have such a negative impact. It isn’t just about Prague, but also the immediate and more distant surroundings. We estimate that construction of the “D” line could cost something between 30 and 44 billion CZK, if it runs as far as Náměstí Míru. We would imagine that 10 billion could come from EU funds, the government could contribute something over 10 billion and the rest would come from the city. Of course, it would be better if the government gave more, that would be really nice.”
Won’t other politicians have other ideas?
“I don’t think it’s about politicians, or even the present political representation,” commented Dolínek in reference to the fact that he belongs to the same political party as Premier Sobotka. “If you look at the huge sums the government gives for the renovation of railway stations and motorway construction, then it’s obvious that, with its 1.25 million inhabitants, Prague also has its needs. Not forgetting the hundreds of thousands of people who come into the city, so there would be a need for such high investment, if only because the government would have all the motorways coming to Prague.”
