Transport Yearbook 2013

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Transport sector development in 2013

INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure expenditures

The total transport infrastructure expenditure volume continued to decrease also in 2013. The volume of investment financial resources spent on infrastructure has been decreasing for the sixth year in a row, more precisely since 2009, and in 2013 was the lowest since 2001, i.e. lowest in the past twelve years. In 2013, these investment costs amounted to approximately 27.4 billion CZK. Overall, the development trend of investment expenditure of the past 20 years can be characterised as increasing over the period 1993-1997, as stagnating over the next four years, i.e. until 2001, followed again by an increase until 2008 when the effects of the economic and financial crisis emerged and the trend thus changed again into a decreasing one.

If expressed in current prices, this financial volume of 2013 represents just a third of the 2008 investment costs when almost 83 billion CZK were invested into transport infrastructure, this being the maximum financial volume of the past 20 years.

Similarly as in the preceding years, also in 2013 the majority of investment financial resources were provided by the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFTI); its share on the total amount increased by 2% compared to 2012, thus reaching approximately 93%. Investment expenditure from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure saw a year-on-year reduction of approximately 5 billion CZK, which represents about 16%.

In 2013, investment expenditures in transport infrastructure represented 0.71% of GDP (excluding expenditures into local roads and other infrastructure for urban public transport), which again represents a reduction as compared to previous years. As investments in 2012 amounted to 0.87 % of GDP, a significant year-on-year reduction can be observed also in this indicator, and when compared to 2010, the reduction is to less than half of the amount as the investment expenditure into infrastructure in 2010 represented 1.7% of GDP.

Investment funds spent on roads continued to decrease also in 2013. However, the reduction of the financial volume was significantly lower than in 2010 and amounted to approximately 5 billion CZK, compared to the year-on-year reduction of 10 billion CZK of the previous year; the reduction in percentage of almost 24% was also substantially lower than in 2012 when it reached more than 30%. Of this, the investment expenditure in class II and class III roads, namely roads in the ownership of regions, amounted approximately to 5 billion CZK in 2013, i.e. about 1 billion less than in 2012 and nearly the same as in 2011. The percentage share of investments into these roads of the total investment expenditure in 2013 was thus approximately the same as in 2012, i.e. slightly less than 29%.

The drop in investment expenditure also continued in rail transport infrastructure with a year-on-year decrease of approximately 1 billion CZK which is less than in the previous year when the reduction amounted to 1.4 billion CZK and also less than in 2011 when it amounted to 3 billion CZK.

As for other investment expenditures, an increase was also recorded in air transport infrastructure, by approximately 20%, and also in pipeline transport by 30%. The reduction in inland waterway infrastructure expenditure was substantially higher than in 2012, namely by 57%, while in 2011, the reduction amounted only to 21%.

The total transport infrastructure repair and maintenance expenditure did not experience a major change in 2013 and thus they did not follow the steep declining trend in investment expenditure of the previous years. The measures aimed at savings the financial resources did not affect this area so much and also in 2013, even a slight increase was observed not exceeding 1%. The general development trend of this indicator has not experienced any substantial changes over the past 8 years. An increase was observed in all modes of transport except for road transport that saw a reduction of approx. 1 billion CZK, i.e. approx. 7%. Railway maintenance and repair expenditures increased in 2013 by approximately 10%, i.e. by slightly less than 1 billion CZK; air transport infrastructure maintenance and repairs experienced an increase of more than 80%, for inland waterway infrastructure expenditure the increase was about 60% while in pipeline transport the increase represented approximately 20% compared to 2012.

Road infrastructure

Development of the motorway network in 2013 continued by putting into operation a part of the D3 motorway Prague – Tábor – České Budějovice – Austria, namely the section Tábor – Veselí nad Lužnicí. This section is composed of five constructions “D3 0307A Tábor – Soběslav” (approx. length 16.3 km), “D3 0307B bridge over the pond Koberný” (length 575 m), “D3 0307C bridge over the Černovický Creek” (length 765 m), “D3 0308A Soběslav - Veselí nad Lužnicí” (approx. length 7.7 km) and “D3 0308B bridge over the Lužnice River” (1,063 m). The upgrading of the D1 motorway Prague – Brno – Lipník nad Bečvou started in 2013 on the section Mirošovice – Kývalka by the following constructions: “Upgrading of D1 - Section 05, EXIT 41 Šternov - EXIT 49 Psáře” (approximate length 7.3 km), “Upgrading of D1 - Section 09, EXIT 66 Loket - EXIT 75 Hořice” (length 9.6 km), “Upgrading of D1 – Section 14, EXIT 104 Větrný Jeníkov - EXIT 112 Jihlava” (length 8.5 km) and “Upgrading of D1 – Section 21, EXIT 153 Lhotka - EXIT 162 Velká Bíteš” (approximate length 9.0 km).

Construction of class I roads including expressways also continued in 2013. The most important constructions put into operation in 2013 are the following: “R7 GSJ Vysočany - GSJ Droužkovice” with the total length of approx. 9.4 km (the construction includes 2 grade separated junctions and 11 bridge structure) and “R7 GSJ Droužkovice - GSJ Nové Spořice” with the total length of approx. 6.4 km (the construction includes 2 grade-separated junctions and 9 bridge structures). In 2013, also the construction “R6 GSJ Hostivice – branches” started.

As for the construction of other class I roads in 2013, for example the following projects were implemented: “I/37 Březhrad – Opatovice”, “I/13 Stráž nad Nisou - Krásná Studánka”, “I/49 Malenovice –Otrokovice” (Stage II), “I/3 Čerčany, MÚK Na Pyšelce” or “I/38 Jihlava, GSJ - Pávov”.

The following range among the most important constructions of class II and III roads implemented in 2013: “III/03513 and III/03515 Heřmanice – Dětřichov”, “II/592 Chrastava (Stage I)” and “III/0353 and III/0357 Víska - Višňová – Poustka” in the region of Liberec, “Via Lyžbice” and “Reconstruction of bridges 480-001 and 480-002 including ramps, Kopřivnice” in the region of Moravia-Silesia or “III/11724 Bypass Rokycany - Hrádek, Section 1” and “Road II/189 - Klenčí pod Čerchovem – Lísková and reconstruction of the through pass of Lísková” in the region of Pilsen. . Other important investments into road infrastructure include the constructions “II/150 Čechy – Domaželice” in the region of Olomouc, “II/405 Zašovice – Okříšky” in the region of Vysočina, “II/303 Addition of climbing lanes” in the region of Hradec Králové or “Road II/432 Kroměříž - Koryčany, Part 12 (Roštín - Cetechovice), Part 15 (Koryčany, rural area)” in the region of Zlín.

Railway infrastructure

Works on upgrading of transit railway corridors continued also in 2013. The third transit railway corridor CZ/SK state border – Dětmarovice – Přerov – Česká Třebová – Prague – Plzeň – Cheb – CZ/DE state border saw the completion of the project “Optimisation of the line Zbiroh – Rokycany” (construction works completed already in 2012) on the section Prague – Pilsen. On the same section, the implementation of the construction “Upgrading of the line Rokycany – Plzeň” started, with the planned completion in 2016. On the section state border with Slovakia – Dětmarovice, the following constructions were completed in 2013: “Optimisation of line state border with Slovakia – Mosty u Jablunkova – Bystřice nad Olší” and “Optimisation of the line Bystřice nad Olší - Český Těšín” (construction works completed already in 2012).

On the fourth transit railway corridor CZ/Austria state border – České Budějovice – Tábor – Prague – Ústí nad Labem – Děčín - CZ/GE state border, the project “Upgrading of the line Votice – Benešov u Prahy” was completed in 2013 (construction works completed already in 2012). In parallel, the implementation of the project “Upgrading of line České Budějovice – Nemanice I” continued in 2013, with the completion expected in 2014. The constructions “Upgrading of the line Tábor – Sudoměřice” and “Upgrading of the line Ševětín - Veselí nad Lužnicí, Part 2, Horusice – Veselí” were launched in 2013, the completion of both is expected in 2016.

As a follow-up to the upgrading of railway transit corridors, the upgrading of important railway junctions was also in progress, the purpose of which is to guarantee the same technological parameters as on connecting corridor lines. For example, the implementation of the project “Through pass of the Plzeň junction in the direction of the 3rd transit railway corridor” with planned completion of all construction works in 2014, continued in 2013. In 2013, also the implementation of projects “Reconstruction of station Přerov, Construction 1”, “Reconstruction of the railway junction Břeclav, Construction 2” and “Through pass of the Ústí nad Orlicí junction” continued, with planned completion of all the projects in 2015.

In the junction of Prague, the implementation of the project “Optimisation of the line Praha-Bubeneč - Praha-Holešovice” continued and the construction “Upgrading of the line section Praha-Běchovice – Úvaly”, the completion of both expected in 2015. Projects aimed at ensuring interoperability of the railway network represent another example of substantial investments. In 2013, the implementation of the digital radio system GSM-R was completed on sections Ostrava – Mosty u Jablunkova – state border with Slovakia, Přerov – Česká Třebová and Děčín – Všetaty – Kolín. Similarly as in previous years, also in 2013 the attention was directed onto upgrading of other lines that are part of the European railway system. For example, the reconstruction of the Střelenský Tunnel on the line Horní Lideč – state border with Slovakia in order to improve the connection to Slovakia was completed.

Inland waterway transport infrastructure

The investment project “Sports Port Hluboká nad Vltavou” aiming at building of a port for 73 small vessels and 2 passenger boats contributed the most to drawing of financial resources. Its implementation will continue in 2014.

Also the investment project “Mooring site for passenger waterway transport on the lower Elbe” started in 2013 that is aimed at building of the basic public network of small ports on the Elbe waterway and thus contributing to tourist development of the areas in question. In 2013, works also started in Dolní Zálezly, Libochovany, Lovosice, Nučnice and Libotenice and the port in Lovosice was completed in the same year. The works on the remaining sites shall be completed in 2014.

The preparation of major strategic constructions such as the Děčín Weir and the Přelouč II Weir also continued in 2013.

Air transport infrastructure

In 2013, investments into Stages II and III of the reconstruction of the main take-off and landing runway RWY 06-24 and the taxiway TWY E on Prague Airport represent the most important share of expenditure in air transport infrastructure.

As for investment costs spent on other airports, the following range among the biggest investment projects: acquisition of selected machines and equipment to improve quality and increase the number of airplanes handled at the same time, ensuring security of air traffic, innovating operational and information technology equipment on the Ostrava Airport, acquisition of winter maintenance machines for the Brno-Tuřany Airport and acquisition of new security equipment and resources for handling of airplanes for the Karlovy Vary Airport.

ROAD TRANSPORT FLEET

Based on available data, it is possible to conclude that the rate of growth in the number of registered road vehicles slightly decreased in 2013, with an estimated year-on-year reduction of 1.3%. In the previous year, i.e. in 2012, this estimate was 2.3%. Due to the introduction of a new registration system within the Central Vehicle Register of the Ministry of Transport that is in compliance with EU legislation, the data on the number of registered vehicles, that are standardly provided in this Yearbook, on 31 December 2012 was not available. The respective tables thus include information on the number of vehicles on 1 July 2013 for 2012. Data for 2013 are already provided for the standard period, i.e. as to 1 January 2014.

The increase in number of passenger cars in 2013 was also lower than in the previous year and can be estimated to 1.4% while in 2012 it reached approximately 2%. The increase in number of motorcycles in 2013 was slightly higher than 1% while freight vehicles saw a reduction of 3.6% in the same year.

TRANSPORT

The total passenger transport performance slightly increased in 2013 but the number of passengers carried on the contrary saw a slight reduction. As the variations did not exceed 1%, this development rather represents stagnation. The period of the past four years can be characterised as stagnation.

The overall reduction of passenger transport performance in 2010 was caused above all by the reduction of passenger car transport where the relevant expert estimate is based also on data on vehicle-kilometres as produced by road traffic census – performed every five years in the Czech Republic. The methodology of national road traffic census has been changed in 2010. After a slight increase in individual car transport in 2011, in 2012 a drop was observed also for this indicator. In 2013, this trend was reversed and both the performance and number of passengers in individual car transport increased. As for public transport of passengers, the performance decreased by less than 1% and the total number of passengers carried by approximately 2%. These rather insignificant changes can be characterised as stagnation.

In railway transport, the growth trend continued in particular in transport performance that saw a year-on-year increase by almost 5%. The number of passengers carried was rather stagnating as the increase was less than 1%. The transport performance values in passenger railway transport have been growing for the fourth year in a row and are the highest since 2000.

The decreasing trend in number of passengers carried by bus transport and in transport performance continued also in 2013. The year-on-year reduction in the number of passengers carried by this mode of transport amounted to 2% and is thus lower than in the previous year. Value of this indicator is at its lowest in the past 10 years. Transport performance of bus transport experienced a year-on-year stagnation, reaching the lowest value in the past 8 years.

As regards inland waterway transport, where particularly passenger transport of recreational character was involved, an increase of 10% was observed in 2013 when compared to the previous year both in the number of persons carried and in transport performance. After years of growth in air transport, with the only exception of the decline in air transport performance in 2010, the decreasing trend in the sector continued also in 2013. However, the drop in the number of passengers carried was lower than in the previous year, reaching approximately 4%, while the reduction in transport performance year-on-year was more substantial, reaching almost 10%. In 2013, the number of passengers at Czech airports increased by approximately 2%.

As far as freight transport is concerned, the total volume of goods carried increased after a three-year period of decrease, namely by slightly less than 3%, thus returning approximately to the 2011 level. The total volume of transport performance increased by more than 5%, thus resuming the long-term development trend for this indicator where over the past six years, reductions were experienced only in 2009 and 2012. Transport performance decreased by approximately 5% in 2012, and if we take into account the increase of approximately the same magnitude in 2011, transport performance levels of 2012 returned to the 2010 results.

A similar development trend can be observed both in railway and road freight transport. After increase in the volume of goods carried in 2011, railway freight volumes dropped again in 2012, followed by a slight increase of 1.2% in 2013. Transport performance does not follow the development in volumes of transported goods and continues to decrease; the year-on-year reduction 2013 represents 2.1%.

The methodology of railway freight transport statistics changed in 2006 and newly also the carriers performing non-public transport (also involving commercial transport, but on the basis of mutually agreed conditions) were included in the statistical surveys. This resulted in the increase both in transport performance expressed in tonne-kilometres and volume of goods carried in the given year. Consequently, the data for 2005 are not fully comparable with the values for the following year. However, on a methodological basis, the data available since 2007 are already fully comparable with the year 2006 and mutually.

The volume of goods carried by road freight transport in 2013 experienced a slight increase of less than 4% after 10 years of decrease. This indicator has been experiencing a declining trend already since 2004. Transport performance for the same period also saw a year-on-year increase of more than 7% and returned thus approximately to the 2011 values.

The volume of goods carried by air cargo that experienced a stagnation, and particularly air transport performance, in 2013 did not follow the development of preceding years. Transport performance increased by almost 50%. The performance of airports remains approximately at the same level as in the previous year. The volume of goods transported by inland waterway transport increased in 2013, namely by more than 8% and transport performance by less than 4%.

ROAD ACCIDENTS

In 2013, the Police of the Czech Republic investigated altogether 84,398 road traffic accidents which represents a year-on-year increase of 3.7%. The lowest number of investigated accidents was recorded in 2009, which was probably caused by a change in the legislation from 1 January 2009, increasing the “threshold” for obligatory notification of the accident from original 50 thousand CZK to 100 thousand CZK. The highest number of accidents was investigated in 1999. However, when looking at the number of persons killed or seriously injured, 2013 can be assessed positively compared to the previous year. Even more, the number of persons killed - 583 (death within 24 hours after the accident; EC statistics and other international statistics use number of people dead within 30 days since the date of an accident – this number reached 654 in the same year) – was the lowest since 1955 and is less than 600 for the first time since that year. The number of persons killed did not exceed the limit of 100 persons per month in any of the months of 2013, similarly as in the two previous years. The number of seriously injured persons decreased by 6.8% in 2013, thus becoming the lowest since 1990. The number of slightly injured persons recorded a minor year-on-year reduction of 0.1%. The estimated material damage amounted to CZK 6.28 billion which is only slightly more than in the previous year.

As in preceding years, particularly the motor vehicle drivers were those who caused almost 86% of accidents during which more than 90% of the total number of persons killed died. The number of accidents caused by drivers of passenger and freight vehicles increased and also number of motorcycle accidents increased substantially.

In 2013, the number of accidents caused under the influence of alcohol reached almost 5,000, i.e. 6.1% of the total number of accidents; 52 persons died during those accidents, i.e. 9% of the total number of persons killed. When compared to the previous year, the number of accidents is lower, but the number of persons killed increased by 7. Cyclists have the highest share of these accidents –in almost a third of all accidents caused by cyclists, alcohol was involved; followed by motorcyclists with 24% and pedestrians with 16%. In 2013, more than 200 accidents involved drivers under the influence of drugs, the number of persons killed in these accidents amounts to 10.

As for the distribution of accidents in time, the highest number was recorded in October 2013, the lowest number in March 2013. The highest number of persons killed was recorded in the summer months of July and August while February was the month with the lowest number. When looking at days of a week, Friday has the highest number of accidents while Tuesday has the lowest. In 2013, the highest number of traffic accidents was recorded in Prague whereas the lowest in the region of Karlovy Vary. The region of Central Bohemia had the highest number of persons killed.

Out of the total number of people killed in accidents in 2013, drivers of passenger cars represent more than 36%, other passengers in passenger cars almost 14%, drivers of motorcycles almost 11%, cyclists almost 10% and pedestrians almost 23%.

In 2013, again more than 13,000 incidents were recorded where the driver causing the accident drove away from the place of the accident, which is almost 16% of the total number of accidents caused by drivers of vehicles. The number of these accidents continues to rise, namely by more than 8% compared to 2012, and also the number of persons killed in these accidents increased.