Activation window for Prague public transport tickets cut to one minute

The City of Prague has ruled that, from July 1, the activation window for purchasing public transport tickets using the PID Lítačka application will be shortened from two minutes to one. The main reason for the change is people’s complaints that ticket inspectors would fine them despite legitimately purchasing a ticket.

“The lengthy activation period is not exactly convenient, especially when buying a ticket at the last minute. A one-minute window will allow you to buy a ticket before the tram, metro, or bus arrives, and still provides sufficient time for protection against abusing the system, ” Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib explained.

According to the City of Prague, the current two-minute window serves to prevent the misuse of purchasing tickets by acquiring them just before a check by inspectors. Without any sort of time window "buffer," people would theoretically (and speedily) be able to purchase a ticket on their phones as soon as they saw a ticket inspector approaching.

City of Prague spokesperson Vít Hofman notes that the one-minute window is common in other Czech cities, such as Ostrava.

The protection period will be reduced not only to the PID Lítačka application, but also to the ČSOB partner application DoKapsy. However, the activation period for purchasing tickets via SMS remains unchanged, typically ranging from one to two minutes due to the use of different technology for this service.

Passengers traveling by suburban and regional buses are still required to board through the front door and present a valid ticket to the driver. Only passengers with an activated ticket, even if it is not yet valid, will be allowed to board.

Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda has welcomed these measures, stating that they will be beneficial for honest passengers who are in a hurry. He also mentioned that the discount on coupon subscriptions will be helpful for those in need.

In other developments, fines for people caught without a valid ticket on Prague’s public transport system may increase, officials said late last year. Currently, penalties for fare evasion on public transport in the Czech Republic have been set at a maximum of CZK 1,500. However, the country's Association of Public Transport Companies is advocating for an increase in the maximum penalty to CZK 2,500.

In 2022, inspectors imposed over 255,000 fines on public transport passengers who didn’t have a ticket.