In February 2016, website Mhd86.cz first reported that, following the success of the Mazací tram, a passenger-less maintenance vehicle with a webcam and a huge fan base clambering to hop aboard, transit officials were considering launching a cabriotramvaj—a convertible model specially made for scenic rides.
Plans were said to be inspired by a similar concept that has proven a success in Leipzig and Dresden where trams with transparent roofs and sides shuttle tourists between attractions.
Jan Šurovský, technical director for Prague’s transit company (DPP) told Czech Radio last year that they were “seriously engaged” in determining if the historic T3 Tatra tram could be converted into a Cabrio tram, adding that the scenic cruiser could be heading into the streets of Prague by 2017.
Image: L.de
Mhd86.cz editor Ondrej Matěj Hrubeš has just posted an update following his interview with DPP. He reports that the outlook for the project looks promising.
According to information Hrubeš obtained from the DPP press office, the creation of the tram has been approved by the board and will be implemented.
Currently, an investment plan and technical design are in the works; unofficial sources say a particular car has already been chosen for conversion into a lookout tram.
No word yet on how the tram will look or when it’ll be rolled out or, most importantly, if it will have a transparent roof and sides or if, like some of the Leipzig models, will go completely open-air in the summer months.
Based on his knowledge of sightseeing trams in other cities, Hrubeš says the plan is commercially viable and could even replace some of the sightseeing buses that flood the city center, while a new line would better connect visitors to the main sights of the Czech capital.