Traffic jams on Prístavný Most bridge are common. (source: TASR)
Some buses will be fare-free to alleviate the complicated traffic situation Bratislava will experience as of mid February. Buses and trolley buses 201, 202, 212, 75 and X72, i.e. those passing Gagarinova Street, which is expected to be the most affected street during the reconstruction of Mlynské Nivy Street and building of the D4/R7 ring, will be free for passengers from February 18 until the end of March. This way, Bratislava city council wants to motivate people to switch from passenger cars to public transport during the extensive closures.
“Thanks to the bus laneswe can guarantee fast transfer by public transport and simultaneously we need to reduce individual transport on these streets as much as possible,” said the city council, as cited by the TASR newswire. “Each passenger, who uses this bus route will exchange a car for public transport, which will help solve the difficult transport situation.”
Simultaneously, Bratislava Integrated Transport (BID), the coordinator of integrated transport in Bratislava and its vicinity, will offer 50-percent discounts on a weekly ticket bought via its mobile app IDS BK for the same time period.
The city’s public transport company Dopravný Podnik Bratislavy (DPB) has not been planning any additional buses or trolley buses to run on the affected routes. It will monitor usage of public transport in affected areas and it will add vehicles or reduce intervals only if demand is too high.
DPB as well as the city council hope that those who start to travel by public transport will not return to their cars after this discount period ends.
Mlynské Nivy Street and Prístavný Most bridge
Two big construction projects will complicate traffic in the capital concurrently. Continuing construction of the new Mlynské Nivy bus station will close Mlynské Nivy Street and work on the Bratislava ring road D4/R7 will restrict traffic close to the Prístavný Most (Port Bridge).
Both related closures will start the same day – February 15. Mlynské Nivy Street will be closed for six months to all traffic. Public transport buses and trolley buses will bypass the closed street via Páričkova Street while other traffic will go via Landererova Street. During the following six months public transport will be allowed to return to Mlynské Nivy Street.
The closure will affect the bus routes Nr 50, 70, 88, X72, trolley buses Nr 205 and the night bus N61 in the affected areas.
The city is also launching parking zones on the outskirts of the city with good connections to public transport. These will be at the cemetery in Vrakuňa and on Bebravská Street. Their capacity will be more than 500 cars. Here, a driver arriving in the city can park his or her car and continue by public transport.
Traffic experts estimate that traffic restrictions in the city will increase traffic jams in Bratislava by about 20 percent.
Web site only in Slovak
Bratislava city council has launched a website, www.zvladneme.to, which in English means “We will manage it”, with information about the traffic restrictions, proposed solutions and maps and advice for travelers. However, the website is only in Slovak. Even though there is an icon for an English version, instead of the latest traffic information, visitors are re-directed to information about tourist attractions and cultural events in Bratislava from the website www.visitbratislava.com.
