The Czech Republic’s Transport Sector
National and European Paths
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
In the Czech Republic, the use of individual transportation has increased massively over the past 30 years. This has been accompanied by a greater flexibility in cargo transport. As a result of structural changes in industry, cargo also moved from rail to road. Both of these shifts led to congestion on the roads and a deterioration of living standards in cities and along highways. The state reacted by expanding the network of roads, for which it primarily used EU funds. Rail traffic slumped. Only since a rail reform in the early 2000s have passenger numbers begun to grow again. The railway is efficient. Despite the massive increase in truck traffic, rail’s share of cargo traffic is up by a good quarter when compared with the rest of Europe. Transportation by water has played almost no role so far. In aviation, the strong growth that arose due to cheap flights to tourist destinations has slumped as a result of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic. There is no sign of an ecological about-face in this trend.
(Osteuropa 4-6/2021, pp. 345–372)