Minister of Transport Martin Kupka (ODS) at a press conference after the government meeting in Prague, February 22, 2023.
Prague – Today, the government decided to abolish the Office for access to transport infrastructure (ÚPDI). Its agenda will be transferred to the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition (ÚOHS) at the end of the year, Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) told journalists after the cabinet meeting. According to him, it is an austerity measure that should reduce state bureaucracy.
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ÚDI resolves disputes between railway carriers or airline companies at Prague airport. According to Kupka, however, it is common in other countries that this area falls to the local anti-monopoly authorities. The minister assured that the ÚDPI agenda will not be cancelled, it will only be taken over by a larger, respected authority.
“I am convinced that this will mean greater efficiency, financial savings and a reduction in the number of authorities we have in the Czech Republic,” said Kupka . He has already discussed the merger of the authorities with the chairman of the ÚOHS, Petr Mlsna.
ÚPDI was created six years ago in response to the opening of the railway market. His task was to monitor equal access when allocating capacity to carriers on overcrowded railway lines or to assess the possible protection of connections ordered and financed with public money against commercial lines. He was also in charge of a non-discriminatory approach to aviation infrastructure.
