Six companies are interested in the construction of metro line D together with DPP

Prague - Six interested parties have applied for the tender to select a strategic partner with whom the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) will establish a joint venture for the construction of Metro Line D, director-general of DPP Martin Gillar said. The company is to be established, among other reasons, to facilitate the acquisition of land for construction. Opposition representatives from the Pirates criticize the selection method, arguing that DPP does not disclose sufficient information related to the tender. Metro Line D from Pankrác to Písnice is intended to ease congestion on the overloaded Line C.

The deadline for developers to apply for the tender expired today at 16:00. According to Gillar, six companies expressed interest, but it is unclear. According to the director, this information is confidential at this stage of the tender and cannot be disclosed.

The joint venture is intended to aid in the development of the areas surrounding future stations, as well as in acquiring problematic plots of land. The company will not be bound by regulations prohibiting the city and DPP from acquiring land at prices higher than the appraised value. The shareholders will be DPP and the selected strategic partner, with DPP holding 49 percent of the shares and the majority stake going to the strategic partner.

The current process is criticized by the Pirates, who are concerned that DPP has not yet made public the shareholder or founding contract. "I don't understand why DPP didn't present it to the representatives. The published documentation is minimal and we haven't seen any expert opinions. We have only seen what the councilors discussed, and it is not clear whether this will even be advantageous for Prague (the creation of the company)," said the chairman of the Pirate club Jakub Michálek.

According to Michálek, there is also a risk that if the city holds a minority stake, representatives of Prague may not have access to certain information. If the board declares it a trade secret, the city will not be able to access it. "Even if Prague had a representative, they are bound by confidentiality and cannot disclose it to anyone," he stated. He is also concerned that the tender for the bank that will lend money to the company will be conducted by DPP and not the company itself.

In addition to land acquisition, another goal of the joint venture between DPP and the developer will be the urban development of the areas around the metro stations, as well as property development and enhancing the potential of locations and municipal lands. According to Michálek, the effort to enhance the city's land is positive, but Prague must do this before it contributes to the planned company.

In the first phase, the section from Pankrác to Olbrachtova is to be established. Subsequently, construction will be extended to the planned stop Nové Dvory and then to the final stop Depo Písnice. Besides the section from Pankrác to Písnice, Metro Line D is also planned to run from Pankrác to náměstí Míru. No decision has yet been made regarding the construction of this part of the route. The new line will feature driverless trains. The estimated cost of Metro Line D is 50 billion crowns.