What is already on offer
“At the moment you can already use Opencard for payment of parking meters, as an electronic travel pass, be it yearly, quarterly or monthly, and as a library card for Prague Municipal Library and National Technical Library. On top of that, citizens can use it for identification when accessing the portal www.praha.eu and for the access to the application I Know How I Drive,” pointed out Deputy Mayor Milan Richter. He also stressed that the card is fully functional and safe, which is certainly not true for all cards.
Savings on fares
Another attractive option is soon going to be the flexible PID voucher. Citizens will be able to pause the travel pass for periods of 14 days, one month or two months, which can bring savings of up to 17 percent from the cost of the yearly voucher, which comes to 800 CZK. “The shortest possible time for which the card can be paused is 14 days because this is the time people usually spend on holidays,” said Milan Richter. The two-month period is suitable mainly for students. The travel pass can be interrupted twice, for example once for fourteen days and once for a month, or twice for one month. The flexible voucher is planned to be launched this July.
City offers other discounts as well
As of April, a substantial number of city institutions will become gradually more involved in the discount Opencard programme, offering admission discounts from five to 50 percent. Already this year, visitors will be able to use Opencard discounts in the following organisations: Observatory and Planetarium of Prague (discount 5-10 %), Prague Information Service (discount 5 %), Museum of the Capital City of Prague (discount 10 %), Vyšehrad National Cultural Monument (discount 10 %), Gallery of the Capital City Prague (discount 10 %), and Prague Symphonic Orchestra (discount 5 %). Other selected monuments will have graded discounts of up to 50 percent: Petřín Mirror Labyrinth, Petřín Observatory, the belfry of St Nicholas Church, Lesser Town Bridge Tower, Old Town Bridge Tower, Old Town Hall – historical halls, tower, underground, and Powder Gate.
Also for commercial organisations
The Opencard discount programme will be most widely utilised in the commercial sector, which the City wants to launch in April as well. Milan Richter, however, pointed out that the negotiations with private market operators will take somewhat longer. The City aims to offer the public discounts in motoring, when using the services of travel agencies, insurance, shopping in e-shops as well as in restaurants. Other discounts should be offered for sport matches, concerts, exhibitions and leisure time centres activities, such as at Yellow Spa and Holešovice Exhibition Grounds.
Card is for tourists as well
Tourists, who purchase the card, can use it to get the three-day public transport electronic voucher, which includes a package of selected services offered by some hotels, galleries and museums. The card’s fee hasn’t been set yet. In Europe, similar products cost from EUR 10 to 50, in Prague it could be about EUR 30 to 35, depending on the quality and amount of services on offer.
Internet Opencard application
As of May, it will be possible to apply for Opencard online. “We want to increase the ease of applicants and enable them to obtain the card without having to visit contact points,” said Milan Richter. All negotiations regarding the services offered will be subject to the approval of the town council next week.
