Transportation updates: Prague taxi price deregulation and regional transit changes

taxi price regulation public transport disruptions railway personnel recruitment tramway construction transportation services

Several transportation developments are occurring across the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In Prague, the city administration has removed price caps for taxi services using taximeters, a move contested by city officials who claim the decision was made by a specific department without council approval. Meanwhile, Prague's tram network faces significant disruptions: a major outage between Nákladové nádraží Žižkov and Ohrada will last until December 18 due to track reconstruction, and a separate short-term closure is planned for the Sady Pětatřicátníků stop in Plzeň.

In the rail sector, RegioJet reports it has recruited approximately 90% of the staff needed to take over electric train operations in the Ústí nad Labem region from Czech Railways by December 2026. Additionally, construction has begun on a new 1.8-kilometer tram line in Prague connecting Libuš and Nové Dvory, expected to be operational by late 2028.

In Slovakia, the Ministry of the Interior launched nationwide inspections of taxi services following passenger complaints regarding pricing and safety. Initial results from over 500 vehicle checks revealed more than 45 legal violations.