The plans were agreed upon in June by the city council following a study by the Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague.
Adam Scheinherr, Deputy Mayor for Transport said, "In the cyclodep in Florence near Těšnov, the packages will be transferred from trucks to special e-bikes and the couriers will then deliver them directly to the customers.
“We planned everything so that we could catch up this Christmas. The location is easily accessible, it is hidden under the highway, has a large capacity and a great connection directly to the city center.
“Real-world experience from abroad speaks for itself. Up to 32 percent of shipments can be transported to addresses in the city center directly from a location within the city, and that's not a small amount at all. Efficient logistics is the basis of a healthy city and, when it works elsewhere in the world, it can also work in Prague."
“It's a step in the right direction to reduce the number of cars in the city center and that leaves us with healthier air to breathe in Prague," Scheinherr added.
The Těšnov area near Florenc where the depot is now based was previously a private car park and was chosen because it was on the edge of the city center and is protected by a highway bridge against adverse weather conditions.
The pilot scheme is in place for 6 to 8 months and will be regularly evaluated.
Companies such as Dachser, DHL Express, DPD, GLS, Messenger, PPL and Rohlik.cz will be using the site, jointly operating a fleet of more than 30 'truck' e-bikes.
Packages will be transported to Depot.Bike where couriers will collect them and deliver them across the city. They will be able to deliver up to 80 shipments from this depot per day.
Ondřej Boháč, Director of IPR Prague added:
"The pilot project of the Prague Cyclodep takes us one step closer to the standards of other European cities. I believe that this method of low-emission logistics will help not only the city center, but also the people that live and work there."
“I am looking forward to the evaluation of this project next year and I hope that other delivery points in other parts of Prague will be added to the Těšnov depot.“