Public transportation in the Czech Republic continues its strong recovery, with 1.98 billion passengers using municipal transit services last year, showing a slight increase from 1.96 billion the previous year. While these numbers represent 89% of pre-pandemic levels from 2019, when 2.23 billion passengers were recorded, they signal a steady return to normalcy.
According to Tomáš Pelikán, chairman of the Czech Public Transport Association, these figures confirm a stabilizing trend in public transit usage as people gradually return to using public transportation following the pandemic.
However, the landscape of daily commuting has evolved significantly. “The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed work habits. Many employers continue to offer work-from-home options, which has reduced the number of daily commuters,” Pelikán explained.
The system’s performance metrics show encouraging growth, with total passenger kilometers reaching 9.86 billion. “We’re observing a positive trend with nearly 3% year-over-year growth in transport performance, reflecting our transit authorities’ commitment to quality service, including fleet renewals and infrastructure development,” noted Pelikán.
Interestingly, ridership patterns showed clear seasonal variations, with peak usage occurring in the fourth quarter and the lowest numbers recorded during the third quarter of the year.