Motorbikes and e-scooters to be allowed in Prague's bus lanes

Starting this spring, motorcyclists and riders of electric scooters in Prague will be able to use all of the capital’s public transport lanes, Prague Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr told ČTK today.

The 66 kilometers of dedicated lanes for public transport – used predominantly by buses – are intended to ease congestion among other factors.

According to the Czech Road Administration Office, the comparability of the speed of motorcycles to buses means that the flow of bus traffic will be unaffected by the new measure. “Negative impacts are not expected,” it wrote.

At present, non-authorized vehicles in designated public transport lanes face a fine of up to CZK 2,000.

The move is designed to prevent risky overtaking and will also protect cyclists from motorcyclists switching lanes.

The ruling may also come as a relief to some pedestrians who have voiced frustration over electric scooters being used on sidewalks. According to spokesperson for Prague’s medical rescue services Jana Poštová, medical emergency services attended 92 incidents involving e-scooters in the first half of 2022, as iDnes reports.

The city management is now waiting for the decision to become legally binding before the changing of road and traffic signs.

Following the addition of over 4 kilometers of public transport lanes in 2022, Prague’s city administration plans to continue creating new lanes in 2023, which – with help of this new ruling – should speed up traffic and boost safety.