We present here a comparison of all thirteen regional cities in the Czech Republic and their public transport systems in terms of friendliness towards bicycle transportation. The comparison is based on an analysis of transport regulations and conditions in the first quarter of 2024. We do not evaluate, for example, the actual comfort of vehicles in public transport and other equally significant parameters.
The impetus for our analysis was a statement for Brněnská drbna by the director of the Brno Public Transport Company (DPMB), Miloš Havránek, who commented on last year’s introduction of fees for transporting bicycles in Brno’s public transport: “We started charging full fare for transporting a bicycle. Brno was the only city in the country that offered free transport. However, some people often abused this and blocked access for strollers, whose transport is a priority.”
Brno was certainly not the only city with free bicycle transportation in public transport. However, it raised the question of how individual transport systems in Czech cities approach the possibility of transporting bicycles.
It should be noted that there is probably no a priori „correct“ solution. It depends on the nature of the specific transport system, its means of transport, and the city as a whole. Cities with developed cycling infrastructure or flat terrain will address different issues than cities where cycling is not common or which are located in hilly areas. The situation will be different in transport systems with a high share of rail transport and in cities that rely exclusively on bus transport. The share of cycling traffic, and thus the expected load that bicycle transport can place on the public transport system, may also play a role.
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Despite these differences, we believe it is possible to infer from the transport conditions how friendly a particular public transport system is towards bicycle transportation, allowing cities to be compared at least on a basic level. To start, we decided to look at the public transport systems in 13 regional cities. The Central Bohemian Region does not have its own capital city outside of Prague, which it is strongly connected to; however, for interest’s sake, we will also provide some details on bicycle transportation in the Prague Integrated Transport system within the territory of the Central Bohemian Region.
Approaches to bicycle transportation can be categorized based on the study of individual transport conditions as follows:
Of course, it would also be possible to assess details such as the price of the service or accompanying rules.
Most public transport systems in regional cities share certain common elements, and their transport regulations contain mostly cosmetic differences. For example, if bicycle transportation is allowed, it is usually on a dedicated platform in the vehicle. If this platform is shared with wheelchair users or strollers, these passengers always have priority over the bicycle. Often, the differences are minor, such as how many bicycles may be transported at once, the minimum age of the passenger who can transport a bicycle on public transport, etc.
However, when passengers with strollers or a person in a wheelchair board the public transport vehicle, those with bicycles should always give up their place and may need to wait for the next service. Transportation is usually only possible in designated areas of the vehicle.
In the case of a ban on bicycle transport, one may wonder whether this rule is applied always and absolutely. All regional public transport systems allow the transportation of luggage within certain prescribed maximum dimensions. It can be assumed that if a folding bicycle (or scooter) fits within the specified dimensions, it should be possible to travel with it as carry-on luggage. On the other hand, it could also be considered that if there is an absolute rule that bicycles cannot be transported, it likely applies to folded bicycles as well, unless an exception is made. In such cases, the leniency of the driver or conductor and the unwritten rules that apply in that city may play a significant role.
In this regard, it is important to add that most transport regulations grant drivers the authority to make the final decision regarding the approval of transport. Thus, bicycles can often only be transported with their consent. If the driver does not agree, for example, because they judge that their service is too full, cyclists must wait for the next one.
Although comparison is very difficult, for graphical simplification, we decided to give each city a score of 0 to 3 points in each of the observed parameters. Three points signify the highest friendliness in that parameter (e.g., allowing bicycle transport always, in all types of vehicles, or completely free). Two points signify considerable friendliness (e.g., free transport of bicycles at least for holders of prepaid tickets or every day, even if time-limited). One point signifies some possibility of transport, albeit under less favorable conditions (e.g., in a limited number of vehicles, always for a fee, or only during certain times of the year/week). Zero points signify the impossibility of transporting bicycles. Half a point indicates at least the possibility of obtaining permission for transport (e.g., transport of folded bicycles or scooters).
We did not include special cyclotourist lines in the analysis because they do not correspond to our thematic focus (urban cycling).
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The highest-rated cities in terms of the friendliness of transport conditions for bicycle transport in public transport are Karlovy Vary, Hradec Králové, and Liberec. These cities achieved full points in all evaluated categories. Bicycle transport is allowed in all means of public transport and is free of charge.
It should be noted that in none of these cities do the transport conditions specifically address electric bicycles. We therefore assume they can be considered regular bicycles.
In Karlovy Vary and Hradec Králové, the same conditions apply for transporting bicycles as for transporting strollers. However, strollers have priority. In Karlovy Vary, transport must be approved by the driver based on the vehicle’s capacity. In Liberec, the same rules apply to bicycles as to luggage, which is transported free of charge. Outside the „Liberec zone,“ however, the conditions of regional transport apply, and bicycle transport is only allowed on trains and special bicycle buses.
Among the cities that narrowly missed the TOP position are Prague, Zlín, and Ostrava. Public transport is still very well utilized here, but in Prague, it is limited by the types of vehicles that can be used (bicycles cannot generally be transported by buses or on all tram lines). A folded bicycle can be transported as luggage on all types of transport in Prague. Zlín and Ostrava, on the other hand, do not allow transport free of charge.
Additionally, Zlín, Ostrava, and Prague explicitly allow the transport of electric bicycles, although the public transport company in Prague states that electric bicycles must be similar in size to regular bicycles.
If we do not consider the option for transporting electric bicycles, which Brno explicitly prohibits in public transport, then this second-largest city would also make it into this category.
Among the cities where you can still take a bike on public transport are Plzeň and Ústí nad Labem. In Plzeň, you can take a bicycle on public transport on Saturdays and Sundays, and on selected lines during the workweek (this can be found in the timetable for specific lines). A folded bicycle can be transported at any time. Holders of a prepaid ticket can travel with a bicycle for free. However, electric bicycles are not allowed.
In Ústí nad Labem, you can take a bicycle on public transport on weekends or at night from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM. A folded scooter or a bicycle without pedals and with turned handlebars can be transported as hand luggage at any time.
České Budějovice can be classified as a city where the possibility of transporting bicycles in public transport is primarily viewed from a cycling tourism perspective. While you can transport a bicycle for a fee on all means of public transport, this is only allowed on weekends and during July and August.
The category of cities where public transport is inaccessible for bicycles is dominated by Jihlava. Here, the transport regulations strictly prohibit entry with a bicycle. We could speculate whether at least a folded bicycle can be taken on public transport in Jihlava as luggage. However, we base our assessment on the fact that the transport conditions simply prohibit bicycles.
Pardubice and Olomouc fare slightly better. History enthusiasts will be pleased to know that the public transport regulations in Pardubice fundamentally refer to bicycles as velocipedes. However, it is less encouraging that velocipedes can only be taken on public transport in Pardubice if they are folded to the size of luggage. Olomouc, on the other hand, only allows bicycle transport on trains and special bicycle buses.
We promised a brief look at the Central Bohemian Region. Here, the rules of Prague Integrated Transport apply, but unlike in Prague, the transport of bicycles on public transport is not allowed for free. Bicycles can be transported in the Central Bohemia Region by trains or special tourist bicycle buses. With a PID ticket, you can transport a bicycle for 20 CZK on the bicycle bus; for 30 CZK by train for a duration of 120 minutes; or for 80 CZK by train with a full-day bicycle ticket.
The options for transporting bicycles vary significantly in regional Czech cities; some are very friendly in terms of transport conditions, while others are less so. It is certainly not true that Brno was the only city that offered free transport of bicycles on public transport. Even after the cancellation of free transport in Brno, four other regional cities remain where bicycles can be transported for free on public transport.
At the same time, we realize that the comparison presented is rather illustrative for several reasons. Firstly, the friendliness of public transport towards bicycle transport is not determined solely by transport conditions but also by the nature of the vehicles and the options available for transporting a bicycle. For example, in Prague, the transport conditions have not changed, but with new vessels allowing for easier boarding, the comfort of transporting a bicycle on Prague’s ferries has significantly increased.
It should also be taken into account that a bicycle is primarily a means of transport in its own right, and public transport is often a supplement that can help cyclists under well-set conditions, such as overcoming longer distances or geographical barriers, or when taking a bicycle to a service point in case of a puncture. The aim of well-coordinated cooperation between the cycling infrastructure system and public transport may not always necessarily be 100% access for passengers with bicycles to public transport at all times and on all types of vehicles.
Our comparison of the friendliness of various public transport systems towards passengers with bicycles primarily points out the rules that apply in regional cities, with the aim of facilitating factual discussion about them.
An interesting question arises: Can bicycles and public transport be viewed more as competitors or as partners? We attempted to answer this a few years ago in the article „Bicycle versus Public Transport [in Czech – eds.].“
Let’s not forget that in well-coordinated cooperation between public transport systems and cycling infrastructure, it is not always just about transporting bicycles on public transport vehicles. A much more important factor is often the availability of bicycle parking at public transport stops, especially at stations serving high-capacity rail transport.
An interesting option is also to incorporate a bike-sharing system into public transport, as is currently happening in Prague, and as the Pardubice transport company is considering.
In addition to the aforementioned limits (the differences between cities and their public transport systems), it is essential to consider the not entirely comparable wording of transport conditions. For example, some cities specifically address e-bikes or scooters in their public transport rules. Other cities do not mention these transport means at all. One can only assume that in such cases, the same conditions apply to e-bikes and scooters as to regular bicycles. However, this also excludes a fair comparison. In cases where e-bikes were not explicitly mentioned, we decided to assume they could be understood as regular bicycles, and therefore we evaluated the respective public transport system accordingly.
Another limit is the degree of integration between urban public transport and regional integrated transport. In some locations, this integration is highly advanced, while in others, a dichotomy between the regional and urban transport systems persists. This leads to two different sets of transport conditions, where urban systems retain certain exceptions. Again, this complicates evaluation and comparison. For example, for trains within the city, we might apply the conditions of integrated regional transport or the respective carrier rather than those of the urban public transport system, which can differ significantly. Additionally, in these cities, transport by train may not be perceived by the public as part of public transport. For instance, Prague Integrated Transport has only successfully changed this perception in the last two decades.
We also encounter different characteristics of transport systems. Some cities have such sparse train systems that they cannot genuinely be counted as part of public transport, even though theoretically, a bicycle can be transported by train. Therefore, in cases of a dichotomy between the integrated regional and urban public transport systems, we primarily evaluated the conditions offered by urban public transport.
Did you find an error in the article? Please let us know. Transport and tariff conditions are not always entirely clear, so we would appreciate any clarifications, either in the comments or via email at redakce@mestemnakole.cz. Thank you!
This article is supported by the Ministry of the Environment. The content may not reflect the views of the Ministry of the Environment. The project aims to raise awareness about conditions for cycling through regional reporting in the online „Městem na kole“ magazine.
This is an adjusted machine translation using Automat’s CycleLingo Translator (ChatGPT) of this article: https://mestemnakole.cz/2024/07/srovnani-preprava-kola-v-mhd-v-ceskych-krajskych-mestech/
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