Heřmanův Městec bus terminal risks €27 million EU grant repayment

The new bus terminal in Heřmanův Městec was constructed with EU funding exceeding 50 million euros and a total cost of about 110 million CZK. The grant required the terminal to serve as the city’s main interchange and to accommodate at least 40 bus departures daily.

Monitoring by the Czech Centre for Regional Development found that the terminal averages only 12.3 bus trips per day, well below the stipulated threshold. As a result, officials warn that the municipality may have to repay more than 27 million CZK—roughly a quarter of the town’s budget—and that the shortfall could jeopardize future investments.

City mayor Aleš Jiroutek and council member Marek Výborný said the shortfall was not previously flagged and that a working group has been set up to address the terminal’s operational shortcomings.