Prague extends substantial transport discount for low-income passengers and refugees

Prague City Council has announced that it will extend the capital’s discounted public transport pass for low-income people and Ukrainian refugees. The discounted price is CZK 165 for a monthly coupon, compared to the usual CZK 550, and CZK 444 for a quarterly coupon that normally costs CZK 1,480.

For socially disadvantaged people, the discount applies until June 2024, whereas for Ukrainian refugees the special price will be valid until the end of September. Prague Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib said that the shorter extension for refugees in financial need is due to the fact that they will be eligible for a discount pass that expires in June 2024.

The discounted tickets for both Ukrainian refugees and socially disadvantaged Czechs were due to expire at the end of 2022 but had been extended by six months due to high demand.

The discount for those in need started in August 2021 to mitigate the financial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, and Prague extended it to refugees from Ukraine on June 12, 2022. DPP sold about 85,390 discounted monthly coupons and 54,000 quarterly coupons in 2022, at a value of CZK 28 million.

An estimated 80,000 Ukrainian refugees live in Prague according to Interior Ministry Data, and a study by the PAQ Research firm shows that around three in four Ukrainians report living in financial hardship.