ANO is concerned in Brno about the reduction of funding for the connection of the line to the campus

Brno - The opposition movement ANO in Brno is concerned that the city will receive less money from the Ministry of Transport for the extension of the tram line from Osová Street to the university campus. The reason is the slow approach to addressing the ministry's comments, said ANO councilor Richard Mrázek in a press release. The extension of the line is expected to cost approximately one and a quarter billion crowns, and it is expected to transport up to 35,000 people daily.

The Brno City Transport Company, which is responsible for the matter, hopes to receive funding from the ministry in the agreed amount, said director Miloš Havránek. According to spokeswoman Lenka Rezková, the ministry is reviewing the support for the project, and details will be communicated only after the process is completed.

The funding from the ministry should cover up to 85 percent of the costs, or about one billion crowns. "A possible reason for the reduction of the grant is the slow approach to addressing the ministry's comments, which were to be resolved at the city level by the end of 2018, but this did not happen. It is a pity that Brno is losing tens to hundreds of millions due to its own mistakes, which it could have used for citizens in other areas," said Mrázek, who was recently the deputy mayor and was responsible for the project.

After the elections, however, the coalition led by the ANO movement was replaced by a coalition of ODS, KDU-ČSL, Pirates, and ČSSD, so ANO, as the election winner, ended up in opposition. Investment councilor David Grund (ODS) told ČTK that the comments are being discussed. "From our side, there is no reason to believe that the comments have not been addressed. The final application is to be submitted by the end of 2019, so we are working on it. It should be noted that this is the second application; the first one was unsuccessful under the previous leadership," said Grund.

Havránek also believes in obtaining the funds, hoping that the ministry will fulfill earlier agreements and provide the money in the expected amount. He added that inquiries and comments from the ministry level regarding the application are a common matter.

Ministry spokeswoman Rezková stated that a preliminary application assessment has taken place, and the applicant now has the opportunity to consider the comments and subsequently submit a full application. "This is an ongoing process, so we cannot provide further information," added Rezková.