Prague, July 22 (CTK) – Sixteen areas reserved for bathing will be created at the Orlik and Slapy artificial lakes on the Vltava (Moldau) River, into which motor personal crafts will not be allowed, Transport Minister Dan Tok (ANO) informed Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) on Friday.
In addition, the crafts will not be allowed to move at a speed of more than 10 km/hour in the vicinity of the places.
Tok’s ministry took the measures in reaction to the wave of criticism which followed a recent accident at the Orlik artificial lake dam, in which an 18-year-old girl did not survive the collision of her boat and a water scooter running at a high speed.
Sobotka asked the Transport Ministry to take measures to limit the speed personal crafts moving along the artificial lakes in order to prevent similar tragedies.
Tok said the previous rules guiding the movement of the water scooters were changed because it was feared that the EU will punish the Czech Republic over a lack of areas where personal crafts can be used.
“The Czech Republic invested hundreds of millions of crowns from European subsidies in its water areas and the European Commission started to ask how they are used. After the situation was checked, the European Commission threatened to impose penalties on the Czech Republic for a breach of the EU rights, mainly the right to free movement of goods, where personal crafts can be bought and imported, but could not practically be used in the Czech Republic,” Tok wrote to Sobotka.
According to the new directive approved after the EU criticism, personal crafts can be used without any speed restrictions as long as they do not operate at a distance of more than 25 or 50 metres from the bank.
Klara Nemcova, director of the State Shipping Authority, said a certain area will soon be created for them.
