Boats to the Rescue

While seeing the Charles Bridge full of souvenir stands, artwork for sale, musicians, and swarms of people might be charming to tourists, residents of Prague have been finding it harder and harder to get around the city in the summer. As part of an effort to both alleviate traffic on the heavily-pedestrian bridges, and to make getting around Prague a little easier for the residents of Prague 1, First Universal Boat Company is providing free boat service for all residents of Prague 1.

The private company is the first of its kind, though it's part of a longer-term initiative to introduce more water transport into Prague's city transportation services. The service kicked off this week, and starting July 1st they plan to offer discounted transport for all Prague residents, for the price of 50 CZK ($2.30 - normal price is 290 CZK). For now, residents of the Old Town who need to cross the river to get to work are eligible for free rides between the hours of 11 a.m. to noon and from 5 to 6 p.m., and the boat ride takes about five minutes. The boats depart every 15 minutes, and starts at the Charles Bridge on the eastern bank, and the water wheel in Certovka on the western bank.

It's no wonder the city needs to improve transportation services; during the high tourist season, it's hard enough to navigate the streets in the very centre, much less to cross the bridges - and the metro and trams are no less crowded. Last summer, the city saw more tourism than ever, and the trend is predicted to continue. Luckily, in the fall the boat company will work with the city to expand its service and to integrate with the city's transportation service and use the same 20 CZK ticket which is used for the metro, trams, and buses. Plans for water trams are also on the way; in time, the Vltava River will become more than just a beautiful dividing line between parts of Prague, but a major transportation route.