The original price of the barriers on the bridge was overestimated

Prague - The original price of the new barriers against suicides on the Nusle Bridge in Prague, with which the contracting firm won the competition and a contract was signed, was considered inflated according to the city audit. The actual costs corresponded only to the price in the contract addendum - approximately five million crowns, which is about half, said František Hoffman (KSČM), the chairman of the control committee of the Prague council, to ČTK today.
The error originated at the beginning when, according to him, no one was able to calculate how many barriers would be needed. According to Hoffman, they were basing the calculations on the number of 64 barriers, whereas there are actually 48 on the bridge. "It is unprofessional," stated the committee chairman. However, he said this would not have reduced the price by half. "The original price was probably calculated for a completely different bridge," Hoffman noted.
The staff of the Technical Road Administration (TSK) began recalculating the project after the original price was questioned in the media. They concluded an addendum to the original contract with the company responsible for installing the barriers at a lower price. This corresponds approximately to the costs assessed in a professional report commissioned by the committee, Hoffman stated.
According to him, the final audit report is nearing completion. Responsible TSK staff should, based on recommendations, be penalized in their salaries, or possibly terminated during organizational changes in this city company, said the committee chairman.
The road administration will respect the recommendations of the control committee, according to its spokesman Tomáš Mrázek. "We will discuss them within the company and if necessary, we will take appropriate measures," Mrázek told ČTK yesterday.
A structure with steel mesh was placed on the bridge ten years ago, which is rounded towards the sidewalk at the top. This August, slippery stainless steel strips were added at its end. A suicide victim has nothing to hold on to.

The Nusle Bridge has attracted suicides since its opening in 1973. It has earned the nickname "the suicide bridge." However, exact statistics do not exist. According to some data, more than 200 people have committed suicide by jumping into the Nusle Valley, while other information suggests it was about a hundred more. While previously five to six people per month attempted to end their lives by jumping from the bridge, after the installation of new barriers, according to available data, it has been one person.