Due to technical problems, the Prague Transport Company (DPP) has postponed changes to the transport conditions for Ukrainian refugees. They were initially supposed to ride with a voucher for people in material need from June 1, but the deadline has been postponed to June 12.
Until now, people fleeing the war could ride for free if they showed a Ukrainian passport with a visa of tolerance. Under the new conditions, they will have to buy a voucher within five days of obtaining the visa. A monthly one will cost 165 crowns and a quarterly one 444 crowns.
According to Ropid spokesman Filip Drápal, the delay is due to technical complications so the existing rules will apply to refugees in Prague until June 11.
“However, from today (Wednesday), it is already possible to get the necessary paper pass or discount category for the ticket, including the purchase of discounted monthly and quarterly coupons, valid from June 12 at the sales points of the transport company (DPP) and the ICT operator (OICT), said Drápal.
Refugees need a photo ID, proof of identity, and the visa mentioned above to obtain a voucher card for people in material need. The fee for issuing the pass is CZK 60.
Removing the original deadline confused many Ukrainians, and groups formed in metro lobbies at photo machines and ticket windows.
Refugees will continue to be able to use public transport free of charge for the first five days after obtaining a tolerance visa. This does not apply only on the AE line from the city center to Ruzyně Airport and in the outer zones of the Prague Integrated Transport (PID) for inter-regional bus routes going from the Central Bohemian Region to the Liberec, Ústí nad Labem, Hradec Kralove, and Pardubice Regions and to the Vysočina Region.
The city administration decided on the free fare at the end of February this year, when it started to apply in Prague on all types of public transport except trains. People began to be issued so-called “guest tickets” valid for three months from the issue date. The new conditions do not cancel their validity before the expiration date.
More than 90,000 people have sought help from the Prague Refugee Centre, which serves Prague and Central Bohemia. At the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the number of refugees checked in was thousands per day. Now it is in the hundreds. The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24.