There is interest in the parking bike towers in Czech cities; more are being built

Prague - Recently, parking garages for bicycles have become increasingly popular in Czech cities. The first one began operating in 2013 in Hradec Králové. Later, this secure bicycle storage expanded to other cities as well. They have been built, for example, in Pardubice, Lysá nad Labem, Třinec, or Přerov. Starting today, cyclists can also use it in Litoměřice, and it is expected to open in Břeclav during the summer, with more planned for Moravská Třebová, Poděbrady, and Kolín.

Bicycle towers are usually located near train stations. In Litoměřice, it is strategically placed near both the bus and train stations, not far from the bike path and in close proximity to the city center. According to Deputy Mayor Karel Krejza (ODS), the construction of the tower is one of the steps to promote cycling and safe storage of bicycles, including electric bikes.

Roofed parking is primarily used by owners of more expensive bicycles who do not want to leave them locked up in front of the station. The tower's area is monitored by city police cameras. The tower features an automatic self-service system, and the entire process takes about half a minute. People pay five crowns per day for storage in most cities, while holders of the Czech Railways In-card can store their bikes for free.

The first bicycle tower built in the Czech Republic quickly gained popularity among cyclists. Although around 144,000 people have used it in its five years of operation in Hradec Králové by the station, it has been out of service since June due to a dispute between the city and the manufacturer. "It was our pilot project. We are sorry that we had to close it," said Rudolf Bernart from Systematica, the company that builds the bicycle towers, to ČTK. According to him, the agreement with the city was that once it was clear the system was functioning and people used it, the city would take over its operation and buy the system. "But nothing happened in five years," Bernart told ČTK. The town hall denies this, claiming that the company did not prove its relationship to the land on which the tower stands. In Hradec, since 2015, there have been two towers, with the second one on Brněnská Street near a shopping center still being available for use.

In neighboring Pardubice, interest in the bicycle tower at the train station significantly increased after a year of operation. Initially, it was almost empty, which changed after the pricing was reduced. Bicycles can now be parked either for free or at half the price. Originally, storing a bicycle for 24 hours cost ten crowns. There will also be a second bicycle tower in the Pardubice region, which is expected to start operating in Moravská Třebová in October.

The bicycle tower at the train station in Přerov has been available since December 2015. Its facilities have been used by tens of thousands of cyclists. Despite criticism regarding funding and questions about the purpose of the building, the bicycle tower ultimately found its clients. Last year, according to city statistics, 23,258 bicycles were parked in the Přerov bicycle tower, and by the end of June this year, 11,627 bicycles.

In the Central Bohemia region, several cities plan to build bicycle towers by the end of the year. They follow in the footsteps of Lysá nad Labem, which opened its tower at the beginning of December last year and surpassed 10,000 uses. Lysá also uses the bicycle tower as an information stand. A similar tower is currently being built in Poděbrady, which is expected to be completed by the end of August, with operations starting on September 1. Kolín will also build a parking tower for bicycles, which received a grant for construction in June. The costs are estimated to be 13.2 million crowns, with an EU grant amounting to 11.7 million crowns. It is expected to be finished by the end of the year. Čelákovice, near Prague, also plans to build a bicycle tower.

This year, bicycle parking towers have been established in Hodonín and Břeclav. Each offers nearly 120 spaces, with the cities paying 12 and 15 million crowns for them. The parking building in Břeclav is expected to start operating in the summer, while in Hodonín, it is planned for autumn.