Prague and Central Bohemia have launched a transport project called PID Haló aiming to provide flexible and efficient transportation for remote areas in Prague and Central Bohemia through an on-demand service Prague Integrated Transport (PID) officially launched the project last Friday in the Central Bohemian town of Český Brod potentially transforming the way people get around Prague and Central Bohemia.  With the successful testing of the ordering and confirmation system the project now accepts real orders from passengers and the initial focus is on providing better transportation options for remote areas in the Central Bohemia region Authorities chose Český Brod as a testing ground for the on-call minibuses due to the fact that the location has a good train connection to Prague The current bus service in the area ends at 8 a.m the councilor for public transport in Central Bohemia shared the estimated cost of acquiring the minibuses and the app the use of cheaper minibuses and drivers with group B licenses (a less difficult requirement) is expected to reduce the overall cost of operation we will be able to offer a much more flexible service even in the later hours of the night or early morning," Borecký explained passengers in the 15 villages and hamlets in and around the Český Brod region can utilize the on-call transport service on weekdays from 8:30 p.m they can book a ride up to 30 minutes in advance through the PID Lítačka app or a special phone helpline This innovative system operates outside of fixed routes The on-call transport utilizes artificial intelligence-based technology to plan optimal routes based on passenger requirements This system will provide a more convenient and personalized experience for passengers "We could not only expand this innovative project in terms of flexibility but also across the board to other cities and towns in the future after the amendment of relevant laws in 2025," said Šponar The fare for on-call transport will be the same as PID trains and buses in the region The price will remain the same regardless of journey time and even if the minibus carries only one passenger one for the northern and one for the southern part of Český Brod also have the capacity to accommodate strollers and passengers in wheelchairs has become an important supplement to the city's public transport system These smaller buses can navigate areas where regular buses cannot (such as Old Town Square) making it possible to serve locations with limited traffic or low passenger demand With over 30 lines currently in operation in Prague (and 67 across all of Central Bohemia) the system has proven to be an important transportation option the challenge will be to introduce alternative drives DPP plans to utilize synergies with the tram infrastructure charging smaller batteries from the tram's power network during operational breaks an important goal was to develop and produce wheelchair-accessible vehicles in this size category This is more challenging to achieve because of the larger buses’ design and components.  Minibuses and midibuses on the PID network appear when searching a journey on the official website or the PID Lítačka app Your morning coffee deserves a great companion. 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Source: Image by Prazak Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license An open international contest is being held to rethink Husovo Square and Arnošta z Pardubic Square in the centre of Český Brod The two-stage competition – organised by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA) – will select a team to rethink the historic central area of the settlement which is located within the Kolín District of the Central Bohemian Region The project aims to create a ‘lively public space’ and re-establish Český Brod’s old town as a catalyst for ‘contemporary and respectful’ urban regeneration and features a range of landmark structures including the Church of Saint Gotthard and New Town Hall According to the brief: ‘Český Brod‘s double-square Arnošta z Pardubic and Husovo Square which forms a large area covering most of the medieval area of the town today lacks coherence and a representative value ‘The potential of the square is currently not fully exploited and the town centre often appears empty and unattractive It is thus necessary to breathe new life into the area and offer the citizens of Český Brod a place they enjoy going to and that they can be proud of.’ Český Brod is the second largest town in Czechia’s Kolin District and is home to around 7,400 inhabitants the current old town area occupies the footprint of the town’s former fortifications Known as Arnošta z Pardubic and Husovo squares – the 21,700m² area is divided by a built-in row of houses The old town hosted many public events during the 19th century and today features a series of roads Key aims of the latest project include creating a pleasant environment for visitors and locals featuring a ‘diverse range of activities and places to be’ while also embodying ‘timelessness landscape architect and founder of the L&SCAPE studio; Eliška Málková architect and co-founder of the Prague studio Taktika; Luboš Klabík and municipal architect of Benešov and co-founder of the urban planning and architectural studio Tečka The overall winner will receive a £17,400 (500,000 CZK) prize while a second prize of £12,200 (350,000 CZK) and third prize of £8,700 (250,000 CZK) will also be awarded Tags Hutchison Ports is recruiting a design team for its new £9 million… An open international contest is being held for a major €27.5 million… An international design and build contest is being held for 25 new… The UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC) has… your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt A passenger train and a freight train collided near the Czech capital on Tuesday evening killing one driver and injuring dozens of passengers The Czech Rail Safety Inspectorate said the driver of the passenger train's engine died in the crash near the station of Cesky Brod just east of Prague shortly after 9:30 pm local time on Tuesday It said the passenger train smashed into the standing freight train The regional rescue service said up to 35 passengers were injured Some were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment There were around 100 people on board the train at the time of the accident The major track linking the capital with the eastern part of the country is expected to be closed until midday on Wednesday It is the second major incident in a week on the Czech railway network after a passenger train collided with a freight train on the Czech-German border on July 8 Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident The Czech Republic experienced its first tropical day of 2024 yesterday with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius at least the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMU) announced on Facebook the earliest tropical day of the year ever recorded was on 17 April meteorologists reported that more than half of the stations had recorded a summer day with a maximum temperature of 25°C or higher it got much warmer at many stations; at the Prague-Komorany station they measured 30.6 degrees Celsius,” the CHMU said after 3pm The Prague-Komorany station was eventually overtaken by the one in Ceske Budejovice where the temperature hit 30.9°C at around 3:30pm in the area of Roznov The previous record for 7 April at this station was six degrees lower A tropical day was also registered today in Caslav Temperature records were beaten yesterday at almost all stations that have been measuring for 30 years or more Records had already fallen at most stations on Saturday with the warmest temperature measured in Doksany The unusually hot weather for April will last in the Czech Republic until Tuesday A cold front will move across the country from the west from Tuesday to Wednesday Temperatures will fall by more than ten degrees to below 15°C Advertise with us Privacy Policy Brno Daily is a Czech media outlet for expats Our partners The Czech Republic's Central Bohemian Region is embarking on an innovative approach to public transportation this summer with the introduction of on-demand minibuses integrated with elements of artificial intelligence The new initiative, which will be operated by Prague Integrated Transport in areas where traditional fixed-route bus services may not be as effective A pilot project will begin near Český Brod this summer leveraging the area's high-quality railway connection to Prague while addressing the lack of connecting bus services during evening hours Two minibuses will be used during the pilot phase offering passengers the ability to order rides to nearby locations via the PID Lítačka mobile application or a dedicated telephone line they drive to the nearest railway station and then go to Prague by train we will be able to provide transport home even at off-peak times which does not adhere to fixed schedules or routes enables dynamic route creation tailored to passenger demand a system that has been successfully implemented across Europe The pilot project is powered by AI that optimizes route planning and allocation of resources offering efficient transport solutions with smaller vehicles and simplified driver requirements routes are dynamically generated in real-time to maximize passenger satisfaction while minimizing operational costs The project's success could potentially serve as a model for other regions and cities The type of minibuses used also mean that drivers will not need to obtain a special license "On-demand transport can be efficiently implemented with smaller vehicles which enables the use of drivers with driving license B of which there is a long-term shortage in the labor market," says Borecký "Intelligent planning also brings the possibility of more efficient spending of funds intended for public mass transport." With the promise of improved accessibility, reduced emissions, and enhanced efficiency, on-demand public transportation brings a new era in public transit for the region. More information about the pilot project can be found at the official website Home   News   Article A former town twinning association could be revived after the link was hailed as ‘important’ Southwell has had a long association with Český Brod At a full council meeting of Southwell Town Council Lynn Harris explained the association was formed in 1990 to support the country as it moved a more Western European culture A successful partnership over the course of the twinning association saw scouts from each of the two towns visit the other When the Czechia – formerly the Czech Republic – joined the EU Despite attempts to reconnect with the council in Český Brod Jamie Bostock said: “I think it is really important that we continue twinning “When I was a young person I went to Sées (a French town twinned with Southwell) There’s also a number of Czech people in Southwell and I’ve enjoyed learning about their culture — why cut that off.” Councillors have agreed to try and re-establish the connection once again It was also suggested that leftover money from when the association was dissolved be used to fund a fountain or other feature which would showcase the two towns’ link A train driver died and dozens of passengers were injured when a passenger train collided with a stationary freight train near Prague a Czech minister and rescuers said Wednesday I have learnt there is one dead," Transport Minister Karel Havlicek told the public broadcaster Czech Television Rescuers said the deceased man was the driver of the passenger train which was carrying more than 100 passengers "He was found lifeless in his wrecked cabin," the regional rescue service wrote on its website Havlicek told Czech Radio later that the driver had most probably ignored a red light The accident occurred after 1930 GMT on Tuesday near the town of Cesky Brod on a busy railway connecting the capital with the east of the country Havlicek said two people had suffered very serious injuries Rescuers said another eight passengers with very serious injuries and 25 with lighter injuries were taken to hospital two people died and dozens were injured when regional trains crashed in western Czech Republic Several other minor accidents have been reported on Czech railways over the past week please register for free or log in to your account A train crash in Karlovy Vary that killed two people and injured twenty-four was the first in a series of train collisions which together left three dead and over fifty injured After a second serious crash near Český Brod Czech Railways announced improvements to their staff and tracks Czech Rep., Jul 17 (BD) – Last week Tuesday, two trains collided in Karlovy Vary causing two deaths and injuring twenty-four a train derailed near Prague after colliding with another train which was followed by another fatal collision near Cesky Brod on Tuesday According to the current status of the investigations by the Rail Safety Inspection Office four of the five accidents were caused by individual human errors when two passenger trains collided on the Pernink-Nejdek line in the Karlovy Vary region According to preliminary reports by the Rail Safety Inspection Office (DICR) as one of the trains was told to stop and wait for the other to pass The second accident happened three days later when a train travelling from Prague to Žďár nad Sázavou collided with a waiting train in Prague-Běchovice Firefighters had to evacuate hundreds of people said: “The situation on the ground was complicated it looks at the moment as if it was the fault of a person The security device worked smoothly and correctly.” there was another severe crash between two trains near Český Brod leading to the death of the driver that allegedly caused the crash and leaving four passengers with severe injuries and thirty-one with minor injuries travelling from Prague to Řečany nad Labem crashed into the end wagon of a stationary freight train Transport Minister Karel Havlíček (ANO) said: “The fact is is that there was a failure of the human factor even though it is a very well-secured line that uses an LS train protection system which keeps drivers vigilant.” He also said it was a coincidence the two incidents happened on the same line as they were unrelated in both cause and effect making a total of five incidents in nine days a passenger train collided with a van near Velké Opatovice in the Blansko region The accident occurred at a railway crossing secured only by warning signs the DICR stated that the passenger train derailed due to the collision and that the driver of the van was the only person injured “The incident happened at an unprotected crossing We assume that the driver of the van did not give priority to the train as he should have,” said police spokesman Bohumil Malášek Police officers are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the accident a passenger train traveling from Chrudim to Pardubice derailed confirmed that the locomotive of the train “cut” the switch and the front axle derailed The second car and the rear axle of the vehicle remained on the tracks said: “I don’t want to downplay it but the derailment of a train is being made into a bigger event than it deserves we deal with minor train derailments practically every week The government’s Rail Safety Inspection Office had blamed human error for four out of the five incidents in an interview with Seznam News after the second incident the President of the Trade Union of Train Drivers of the Czech Republic said: “It is not yet clear which side the mistakes came from the drivers [of the first two incidents] did not make any mistakes the fact that we have no technical security and the organization of rail transport is managed on the basis of communication between the dispatcher and the driver is mostly to blame.” Vondrovic added that he had raised this issue before with previous Ministers of Transport and that the Ministry “has known about the problem for six years but done nothing.” two days after the interview and after the third accident the Board of Directors of Czech Railways agreed that the company would be increasing inspections of train drivers and planned to improve their training According to the head of the state carrier the number of inspections had already increased by a quarter year-on-year For single-track regional lines without electronic track security Czech Railways announced that they would prepare a system to alert drivers that they should report to the signal operator at train crossing points and warn them of vehicles approaching in the opposite direction there have been a total of thirteen accidents across the country of which three were train-on-train collisions five were derailments and four were trains colliding with other kinds of vehicles What better way to survive a catastrophic doomsday scenario than in a luxury fallout bunker complete with its own art gallery You’ll just need to become one of the world’s super-elite before you can apply The Oppidum is billed as “the largest billionaire bunker in the world” on its official website Local media doesn’t seem to have been granted access to the top-secret project, though weekly Echo, calling it the “Billionaire’s Noah’s Ark,” reports that the country’s top businessmen were given access to tour the premises in recent weeks US business magazine Forbes, meanwhile, was recently granted an overview of the elite fallout shelter the compound appears to be a large administration center carved deep in the mountain is the largest residential doomsday shelter in the world.” The facility is equipped with automated defense technology and a blast door that can completely seal off the outside world in less than a minute Formerly a Cold War fallout shelter built during the 1980s, The Oppidum’s current rendition is the brainchild of entrepreneur Jakub Zamrazil, who has employed the former Chief of Defence Intelligence of the Czech Republic to oversee security for the project While the location of The Oppidum has not been revealed Echo reports it to be about seven kilometers southwest of Česky Brod (roughly 45 kilometers east of Prague) For photos and further details about the project, check out the Forbes article Or, if you think you’ve got enough cash, you can apply for access directly from The Oppidum