News in Pictures

Prague court overturns city centre bike ban

A court in Prague has annulled a ban on bikes in the centre of the Czech capital. The ban, introduced by Prague’s District 1 council on May 1st, restricts cyclists in areas including part of Wenceslas Square, the iconic Old Town Square with its landmark clock, the busy Karlova street approaching the 600-year-old Charles Bridge, and Josefov, site of the city’s former Jewish ghetto.

The bike ban was intended to keep bikes, electric bikes and scooters out of certain parts of the city centre from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Riders wishing to pass through those areas were supposed to get off their bikes and walk them through the zone. The council introduced the ban after claiming that cyclists had become a hazard for tourists.