The Prague cable car to Bohnice must have an EIA assessment, the office decided

Prague – The cable car connecting Podbaba with Bohnice, which is planned to be built by the city leadership of Prague, must have an environmental impact assessment (EIA). This was decided by the environmental department of the city hall. According to it, it is necessary to assess, in particular, the impact of noise on public health and the issue of parking. The construction of the cable car was approved by the councilors in July; it is meant to ensure a direct connection between Prague 8 and Prague 6 until the planned tram line is created. According to estimates, it is expected to cost 1.5 billion crowns and could be in operation in 2025.

The EIA process is divided into a so-called scoping procedure, the conclusion of which is a decision on whether the proposed project has or does not have a significant impact on the environment and public health. If the authority concludes that it does, a so-called large EIA follows, for which the investor must have comprehensive documentation prepared, and which includes a public discussion.

According to the opinion of the city hall officials, when further assessing the cable car, it is necessary to account for the issue of parking at the planned cable car stations in Bohnice and Podbaba, noise pollution for residents, and the burden on the area along which the line is to run and which is of natural value.

A total of 169 opinions arrived regarding the plan, mostly negative. For example, Prague 6 expressed opposition to the cable car in its proposed form, requesting that a study be prepared first and then discussed with them. Conversely, Prague 8 agreed to the plan on the condition that the project includes the construction of sufficient P+R parking lots and that the city hall does not abandon the construction of the planned tram line. The complete EIA assessment was also requested by the Prague hygienic station and the Czech Environmental Inspection, among others.

The association Together for Civil Society expressed disagreement with the plan and also filed a so-called objection of systemic bias against some employees of the city hall and Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates). This is filed due to suspicion that the decision was not impartial and is often used as an obstruction. In the case of city hall employees, the objection has already been rejected, against which the association appealed. The objection against Hřib was not addressed, as he has no authority to interfere in the EIA decision-making, as stated in the opinion.

Although Bohnice and Prague 6 are relatively close by air, there is no direct connection between them, and people must travel through the center for trips between them. Therefore, a tram line connection has been planned for a long time, which, however, will probably not come into existence for decades. In the meantime, the planned 2.24-kilometer-long cable car with stations in Podbaba, Troja, and Bohnice is meant to provide the connection. It is to be part of the public transport network, and the cabins are expected to be able to transport about 2000 passengers per hour. The previous city hall leadership proposed the cable car construction plan.