Transport Yearbook 2016

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Transport sector development in 2016

INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure expenditures

In 2016, the total transport infrastructure expenditure volume saw a decrease compared to the previous year and reached 43.5 billion CZK. Even though the decrease did not reach the level of years 2012-2014, it was still rather substantial and represented approximately 24%. In absolute figures, this decrease exceeded 14 billion CZK. One of the reasons behind the 2015 increase in investments was the drawing of the remaining resources from the Operational Programme Transport. 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. The volume of investment financial resources spent in infrastructure was decreasing from 2009 to 2013, when it was the lowest since 2001, i.e. lowest in the past twelve years and amounted to only 1/3 of the 2008 value. In 2008, 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 2016 the majority of investment financial resources were provided by the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFTI); its share of the total amount reaching approximately 90% which is about the same as in 2015. Investment expenditures from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure saw a year-on-year reduction of approx. 25% and reached the value of approximately 39 billion CZK.

In 2016, investment expenditures in transport infrastructure represented 0.95% of GDP (excluding expenditures into local roads and other infrastructure for urban public transport), which is a year-on-year decrease by 25%; this indicator thus is approximately at the same level as in 2012. The respective figures for investment expenditures were 1.26% of GDP in 2015, 0.78% of GDP in 2014, 0.71% of GDP in 2013 and 0.87% of GDP in 2012. As the amount of investment expenditure into infrastructure in 2010 represented 1.7% of GDP, the 2016 value is close to half of that figure.

For 2016, this indicator showed a reduction again after the decreasing trend that lasted several years of the volume of investment financial resources spent on roads until 2014 and the subsequent rather sharp increase in 2015. Nevertheless, it was not a major reduction, only in the scale of less than 5% and the expenditure level was similar as in 2012. Of this, the investment expenditure in class II and class III roads, namely roads in the ownership of regions, amounted approximately to 5.3 billion CZK in 2016, i.e. almost 6 billion less than in 2015. The percentage share of total investment costs into roads of 23% in 2016 was significantly lower than in 2015 when it accounted for almost half of the total investments.

Investments into railway transport infrastructure also decreased in 2016; when compared with the reduction of investments into roads, this decrease was more substantial and represented more than 40%. Nevertheless, the expenditure did not go as low as during the crisis period and returned to the 2009 level.

As for other investment expenditures in 2016, a decrease of almost 36% was recorded in inland waterways infrastructure and a decrease of almost 50% in pipeline transport. The only significant increase when compared to 2015 was observed in investments into airport infrastructure – almost 80%.

After several years of stagnation until 2013, the total transport infrastructure repair and maintenance expenditures increased in 2014 by approximately 20%, saw a year-on-year increase of more than 50% in 2015 and more or less remained stagnating again in 2016. There were no substantial changes in the preceding 8 years until 2014 and thus this type of expenditures did not follow the steep declining trend in general investment expenditures of the previous years. The measures aimed at savings did not affect this area so much and in 2013, even a slight increase was observed not exceeding 1%.

Speaking about individual transport modes, an increase has been observed in road and air transport. For road transport, these expenditures grew by 11% while the airports repair and maintenance costs increased by 33% in 2016. On the contrary, there was a reduction of maintenance and repair expenditures for railway transport by approximately 14%, for inland waterway infrastructure of almost18% and for pipeline transport the reduction in expenditure amounted to approxímately 36%.

Road infrastructure

Development of the motorway network continued in 2016 by upgrading of the D1 Motorway Prague – Brno – Vyškov - Hulín - Přerov - Lipník nad Bečvou - Bělotín - Ostrava – state border CZ/Poland. The following construction sections were put into operation: “Upgrading of D1 – Section 03, EXIT 29 Hvězdonice - EXIT 34 Ostředek” and “Upgrading of D1 – Section 25, EXIT 178 Ostrovačice - EXIT 182 Kývalka”. The following constructions continued on the D1 motorway in 2016: Upgrading of D1 – Section 18, EXIT 134 Měřín - EXIT 141 V. Meziříčí západ” with planned completion in 2017 and “D1 0137 Přerov – Lipník” with planned completion in 2018.

In 2016, the following constructions were launched on the D1 motorway: “Upgrading of D1 – Section 06, EXIT 49 Psáře - EXIT 56 Soutice” and “Upgrading of D1 – Section 22, EXIT 162 Velká Bíteš - EXIT 168 Devět Křížů” with planned completion in 2017 and “Upgrading of D1 – Section 15, EXIT 112 Jihlava - EXIT 119 Velký Beranov” with planned completion in 2018. The construction of other motorways also continued in 2016. The last construction section – “D8 0805 A – Motorway route Lovosice – Řehlovice” was put into operation on the motorway D8 Prague – Lovosice – Ústí nad Labem – state border CZ/Germany.

On the D0 Motorway (Prague Ring Road), the project “D0 510 Satalice – Běchovice, repairs” was completed in 2016. As for the D3 Motorway Prague – Tábor – České Budějovice – state border CR/Austria, the following constructions continued in 2016 - “D3 0308C Veselí nad Lužnicí – Bošilec” and “D3 0309/III Borek – Úsilné” with planned completion in 2017, and a new section – “D3 0309/I Bošilec – Ševětín” was launched with planned completion in 2019. In 2016, works also continued on the D4 Motorway Prague – Příbram – Nová Hospoda (I/20) by the construction section “D4 Skalka – crossroad with II/118” with planned completion in 2017, and on the D7 Motorway Prague – Slaný – Chomutov, the construction section “D7 Postoloprty – GSJ Bítozeves” started with planned completion in 2018.

Construction of Class I Roads also continued in 2016. Construction that were put into operation in 2016 are for example “I/27 Velemyšleves – bypass and bridge over Chomutovka”, “I/49 Vizovice - Lhotsko”, “I/26 Staňkov relocation”, “I/9, I/16 Mělník bypass, Construction 1”, “I/35 Rožnov pod Radhoštěm - crossroads”, “I/38 Nová Ves, bridge Reg. No. 38-034 over the track of Czech Railways”, “I/26 Plzeň bridge Reg. No. 26-009.. 1,2 (Letná)” or “I/38 Malín, reconstruction of bridge Reg. No. 38-042”.

The following are among the important projects implemented in 2016 on Class II and Class III roads - “II/347 Světlá nad Sázavou - D1, 2nd Construction” and “II/388 Bobrová - Zvole, 1st section” in the region of Vysočina, “Road II/495 Uherský Ostroh - Hluk, 2nd Phase” and “Road II/428 Počenice, throught section” in the Zlín Region or “II/422 Podivín – Lednice” and “III/40819 Hradiště through pass” in the South Moravian Region. More important transport investments in the area of road infrastructure also include the projects “II/150 Brzotice, reconstruction of bridge Reg. No. 150-012” in the region of Central Bohemia, “Bridges Reg. No. 1403-1 and 1403-2 Zátaví” in the region of South Bohemia, “III/16910 Srní – Antýgl” in the region of Pilsen or “Road III/28116 Borek – Troskovice” in the region of Liberec.

Railway infrastructure

Works on upgrading of transit railway corridors continued also in 2016. On the third transit railway corridor CZ/SK state border – Dětmarovice – Přerov – Česká Třebová – Prague – Plzeň – Cheb – CZ/DE state border, the construction “Upgrading of the line Rokycany – Plzeň” continued on the section Prague – Pilsen with the planned completion in 2019. The construction “Optimisation of the line Beroun (incl.) – Králův Dvůr” was launched on the same corridor section with planned completion in 2019.

On the fourth transit railway corridor CZ/Austria state border – České Budějovice – Tábor – Prague – Ústí nad Labem – Děčín - CZ/DE state border, the projects “Upgrading of the line Ševětín - Veselí nad Lužnicí, Part 1, Ševětín – Horusice”, “Upgrading of the line Ševětín - Veselí nad Lužnicí, Part 2, Horusice – Veselí” and “Upgrading of the line Tábor – Sudoměřice” were completed.

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 projects “Optimisation of the line Bystřice nad Olší – Český Těšín, Part 2 – RST Český Těšín” or “Reconstruction of RST Olomouc” was completed in 2016. In railway junction Pilsen, the construction project “Junction Pilsen, Construction 1 – reconstruction of the Prague gridiron” continued with planned completion in 2017 and the construction project “Junction Pilsen, Construction 2 – reconstruction of the passenger station incl. bridges Mikulášská” was launched with planned completion in 2019. In the Prague junction, constructions “Upgrading of the line section Prague – Běchovice – Úvaly” and “Optimisation of the line section Praha Hostivař – Praha main station, Part I – RST Praha Hostivař” were completed in 2016.

Projects aimed at deployment of the digital radio system GSM-R represent another example of substantial investments. In 2016, for example the projects “GSM-R Benešov – Votice” or “GSM-R Corridor III Beroun – Pilsen – Cheb” (excluding the sections where other investment projects are underway). Investments into railway infrastructure for development of suburban transport and integrated transport systems continued also in 2016, for example the construction “Revitalisation of the line Prague – Vrané nad Vltavou – Čerčany” was completed. Putting into operation of the new Central Dispatching Post in Prague Balabenka was also an important event in 2016 (completion of the project “CDP Prague”).

Inland waterway transport infrastructure

Drawing of financial resources in 2016 was mostly done for the investment project of the new lock chamber by the Hněvkovice Weir with related adjustments of the water bed and lower roadstead of the lock chamber of the WW Hněvkovice, by which the Vltava waterway in the section WW Hněvkovice – Týn nad Vltavou will be completed. Also continuing upgrading of roadstead of the lock chamber Kořensko and completion of the Port Office in the port of Hluboká nad Vltavou.

Substantial financial resources were also spent on intense preparation of other investment projects aimed at complex development of the whole network of waterways with importance for transport.

Air transport infrastructure

The most important drawing of investment costs at the Prague Airport in 2016 was spent on reconstruction of the taxiways TWY F and TWY H+H1, on the interior of the Arrivals Hall of Terminal 1 including reconstruction of the ceiling, reconstruction of the apron area in the SOUTH part, expansion of the waste and sewage waters treatment plant in the SOUTH part and passport filters in Terminal 1. A major part of repair and maintenance expenditure on the same airport was spent on repairs of buildings and equipment, repair of the take-off and landing runway RWY 12 / 30 and regular annual maintenance of taxiways TWY L and TWY G.

ROAD TRANSPORT FLEET

Based on information from the Central Vehicle Register, the number of motor vehicles registered in the Czech Republic in 2016 increased by 3.5%. The total number of registered vehicles including trailers of all types and categories increased by the same percentage and reached almost 7.6 million.

The number of registered passenger cars again shows a year-on-year increase. In absolute numbers, this represents an increase of approximately 190,000 vehicles, which is almost 4%. When compared with the previous year when the number of passenger cars exceeded 5 million as at 1 January 2016, the growth rate slowed down. As at 1 January 2017, this figure was 5,307,808, i.e. more than 90% of the total number of motor vehicles registered in the Central Vehicle Register. As for the age of passenger vehicles, 60% are older than 10 years and approximately 80% are older than 5 years. This ratio does not show much change year-on-year.

The number of registered road freight vehicles also saw a year-on-year increase by more than 3%. The number of vehicles not older than 2 years increased again by almost 13% and at the same time an increase of more than 13% has been observed for vehicles older than 10 years. Over the past 5 years, the number of vehicles in this category increased by more than a half. The percentage share of freight vehicles older than 10 years of approximately 46 % is however substantially lower than in the category of passenger vehicles. However, this share continues to grow, with 4% year-on-year.

In 2016, a very minor increase was observed also in the number of registered mini buses and buses not exceeding 1% and of more than 4% in trailers. The number of semi-trailers was more or less stagnating. The number of road tractors has been decreasing over the long term and based on information from the Central Vehicles Register, the numbers went down to less than 20% over the past ten years. The year-on-year reduction in this category for 2016 amounted to 15%. In the same year, the category of special automobiles saw a very minor decrease of approximately 1% and the motorcycles saw an increase of almost 3%.

TRANSPORT

The total passenger transport performance increased again in 2016, namely by 4.5% and the number of passengers carried also increased by approximately 4.2%. The development of this indicator did not show significant fluctuations until 2014; an increase has been achieved in the 2 previous years.

In public passenger transport, an increase of almost 4% occurred in the number of passengers carried and of 6% in passenger transport performance; in both cases this is significantly higher than in the previous year.

In railway transport, the growth trend continued also in 2016 and there was again an increase in the growth tempo as compared to the previous year, in particular in transport performance. Transport performance saw a year-on-year increase of more than 6.5% while the number of passengers carried was rather stagnating as the increase was very minor of only 1.5%. Transport performance values in passenger railway transport have been growing for the seventh year in a row and are the highest since 2000.

In 2016, the development trend of the number of passengers transported by bus transport reversed and a decrease of more than 5% was reported. Transport performance on the contrary rose by 2.6% and is the highest in the past 5 years and second highest in the past 15 years. The transport performance and number of passengers in urban public transport also saw an increase in 2016 – 8% in performance and 5.5% in transport volumes. This increase can be partially attributed to a change in methodology.

After a slight increase in passenger car transport in 2011, a drop was observed also for this indicator in 2012. In 2013, this trend was reversed and both the performance and number of passengers in car transport increased. This increase also continued in years 2014-2016.

As regards inland waterway transport, where particularly passenger transport of recreational character was involved, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 11% in the number of passengers carried and of less than 10% in transport performance was observed in 2016. Air transport grew again after several years of decreasing figures. The number of transported passenger increased by approximately 16% and transport performance by more than 5%. In 2016, the number of passengers travelling using Czech airports increased again by approximately 7.3% and reached its highest level.

In freight transport, after several years of growth of both the volume of goods carried and transport performance, the trend reversed in 2016 and a decrease in the volume of transport of 2% was observed while the decrease in transport performance was more significant, more than 11%. Despite this, the volume of transported goods is the highest in the past eight years; transport performance is similar to the 2012 level.

A slightly growing development trend remains in place in the volumes of goods carried and transport performance in railway transport where these indicators again saw a year-on-year increase by less than 1% and 2.3% respectively. The growth in railway freight transport performance continues for the fourth year in a row.

After almost 10 years of decline until 2012 and subsequent growth of 3 years until 2015, the volume of goods carried by road freight transport in 2016 slightly decreased again, namely by 1.6%, but despite this remains the second highest in the past eight years. Transport performance saw a more significant decrease of 11%.

After a stagnation of three years, the volume of goods carried by air cargo saw a decrease by approximately one third and also air transport performance decreased by 11% in 2015. In 2016, air cargo remains at the same level as in the previous year. The performance of airports in 2016 substantially increased, namely by one third. The volume of goods transported by inland waterway transport decreased in 2016 approximately by 4% while transport performance on the contrary grew by almost 6%.

ROAD ACCIDENTS

In 2016, the Police of the Czech Republic investigated altogether 98,864 road traffic accidents which represents a year-on-year increase of 6.2%. Even though growth rate slightly slowed down year on year, the number of accidents keeps increasing since 2009, with the exception of 2011. The year 2009 was significant as there was a change in the legislation (in effect from 1/1/2009), increasing the “threshold” for obligatory notification of the accident from original 50,000 CZK to 100,000 CZK. This was probably one of the reasons why the Police of the Czech Republic investigated the lowest number of accidents in that year. The highest number of accidents was investigated in 1999 – 225,690 accidents.

However, despite the fact that the number investigated accidents keeps increasing for several years in a row, the number of persons killed in road accidents in 2016 is the lowest since 1961 since when police statistics on traffic accidents are available. In 2016, the total number of persons killed was 545 (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 611 in the same year) which is a year-on-year reduction of 17.4%. On the contrary, the highest number of persons killed in traffic accidents was registered in 1969 – 1,738 persons.

For the other indicators, 2016 was not that successful anymore. The number of seriously injured people increased slightly by 1.6%, but still remained the second lowest since 1961. 2015 remains the best year for this indicator. The highest number of persons injured in traffic accidents was recorder again in 1969. The number of slightly injured persons increased also, but only by 0.3%. The estimated material damage amounted to CZK 5.8 billion which is an increase of almost 7% compared to the previous year. The average material damage in one road traffic accident investigated by the police amounts to almost 60.000 CZK.

As in preceding years, particularly the motor vehicle drivers were those who caused approximately 84% of accidents during which more than 91% of the total number of persons killed died. When compared to the previous year, the number of persons killed in these accidents is lower by 105. In accidents caused by drivers of motorless vehicles, 24 persons were killed and 21 persons died in accidents caused by pedestrians. The number of accidents caused by drivers of passenger cars increased also, namely by 6.1%, in freight vehicles without semi-trailer by 7.2%, in vehicles with semi-trailer by 5.4%, and in buses by 1%. The number of accidents caused by cyclists slightly decreased.

In 2016, the number of registered accidents caused under the influence of alcohol amounted to 4,373, i.e. almost 4.5% of the total number of accidents; 52 persons died during those accidents, i.e. 9.5% of the total number of persons killed. When compared to the previous year, the number of accidents is lower by 171 and the number of persons killed also decreased by 10 persons. In 2016, over 250 accidents were caused by drivers under influence of other addictive substances; 10 persons died in these accidents. There was a reduction of both the number of accidents and the number of persons killed in this area.

As for the distribution of accidents in time, the highest number was recorded in October which was the most tragic month with 62 persons killed; the lowest number of accidents was investigated by the police in February, as in 2015. The lowest number of persons killed was reported in January. When looking at days of a week, Friday again had the highest number of accidents while Sunday had the lowest. With regard to numbers of persons killed, the worst days were Monday together with the week-end days of Friday and Saturday. In 2016, the highest number of traffic accidents was again recorded in Prague whereas the lowest in the region of Karlovy Vary, similarly as in 2015. As in the previous years, the region of Central Bohemia had the highest number of persons killed, more precisely 5 times more than on the territory of the Capital City of Prague.

Out of the total number of persons killed in accidents in 2016, drivers of and other passengers in passenger cars represent more than 55%, drivers of motorcycles almost 11%, cyclists less than 9% and pedestrians more than 20%.

In the same year, again more than 16,000 incidents were recorded where the driver causing the accident drove away from the place of the accident, which is almost 20% of the total number of accidents caused by drivers of vehicles. The number of these accidents continues to rise, namely by 6.8% compared to 2015. The number of persons killed in these cases decreased by 4 in 2016.

Every day the Police of the Czech Republic investigated on average 270 road traffic accidents with 1.5 person killed and almost 74 people injured. The estimated material damage represents on average almost 16 million CZK per day.