Transit Inspection

Relations between the passenger and the carrier within Prague Integrated Transport (PIT) system are primarily based on Road Transport Act No. 111/1994 Coll., Sec. 18, as amended, and Act No. 266/1994 Coll., as amended, which stipulate the basic obligations of the passenger and carrier during transport. The obligations of the carrier are performed by an individual authorised by the carrier, i.e. the driver or transit inspector, possessing an inspector's badge or carrier permit (hereinafter authorised individual).

The passenger is obliged to:

• observe the transport regulations, transport terms of service, and tariff,
• heed the directives and orders of the authorized individual that aim at ensuring the safety and flow of transport, his safety or the safety of other passengers,
• at the request of an authorised individual, to produce a valid transit document, and if he does not produce a valid transit document, to pay the fare plus a surcharge or to prove his/her identity with a piece of ID and to furnish personal information needed to enforce the payment of the fare and surcharge; personal information means name, surname, date and place of birth, and a postal address,
• at the request of an authorised individual, follow him/her to a suitable public service location for identification or, at the request of an authorised individual, to remain in a suitable place until an individual authorized to ascertain the passenger's identity arrives, if he/she does not fulfil the obligations listed in letter c)
• at the request of an authorised individual, pay a surcharge for the non-observance of the transport regulations, or directives and orders of an authorized individual, or dirtying the vehicle, or for disturbing the peaceful transport of passengers or otherwise harassing passengers.

The authorised individual is authorised to:

(aside from issuing directives and orders to passengers in order to ensure their safety, the safety and flow of transit, and the safety of other passengers)

• expel from transit a passenger who, at the request of an authorised individual, does not produce a valid transit document and does not meet the obligation of paying the fare and surcharge, to expel a passenger from transit or ask him to pay a surcharge if, despite being warned, he/she does not observe the transit regulations, directives and orders of an authorised individual, dirties the vehicle or if his/her behaviour disturbs the peaceful transport of passengers or otherwise harasses other passengers; expulsion from transit must not threaten the health and safety of the passenger,
• not admit for transit or expel from transit a passenger's luggage or animal being transported with him, if they are an obstacle to the safe and comfortable transport of passengers or they endanger the health of passengers or if their transport is not allowed by transport terms of service, especially vehicle capacity,
• to order a passenger who has not produced a valid transit document to pay a surcharge or request a passenger to produce personal data per paragraph 1), letter c).

Other conditions that must be met during transport in the PIT system are listed primarily in the transport terms of service and the tariff.

In the PIT system, the surcharge amount on top of the fare is set as follows:

• CZK 1000 – basic surcharge for passenger transport without a valid transit document, which is reduced to CZK 800 if it is paid at the point of inspection or no later than the 15th calendar day from the day of inspection at the supplementary fee till. The surcharge can be paid at the supplementary fee till at the earliest from 1.00 p.m. the following work-day. In the event of a confiscated pass, it can be picked up in the same time period after submitting a Record of Transit Inspection and payment of the reduced surcharge. If the passenger produces a forged transit document (imitation of a transit document) or a changed or modified transit document during transit inspection, surcharge reduction is not provided!
• CZK 400 – surcharge for violating Act No. 111/94 Coll., Act No. 266s/94 Coll, Decrees of the Ministry of Transport No. 175/2000 Coll. and Transport Terms of Service. The surcharge is not subject to reduction when paying at the point of inspection, nor subsequently at the supplementary fee till.
• CZK 200 – surcharge for unpaid conveyance charges (for luggage or dog), which is reduced to CZK 100 when paid at the point of inspection or no later than the 15th calendar day from the day of inspection at the supplementary fee till. The surcharge can be paid at the supplementary fee till at the earliest from 1.00 p.m. the following work day.
• CZK 50 – surcharge for a forgotten season ticket that was issued based on personal data provided, with a validity period of one month or more, and valid at time of inspection. This fact must be proven at the supplementary fee till between 1.00 p.m. the following work day and the 15th day from the surcharge being issued.

Notice: The CZK 50 surcharge does not apply to tickets with a pass purchased after the transit inspection was performed, and in the case of a debt assumed from another individual.

Location and hours of the Transport Company supplementary fee till:

Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy
Prague 2, Na Bojišti 5 (Metro Line C – I. P. Pavlova station)
Ground floor on the left – windows No. 10, 11

Mon, Tues: 10.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Wed, Thurs, Fri: 8.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.

Note: payment of outstanding amounts cannot be made via postal money orders addressed to the supplementary fee till! Payment at the supplementary fee till can only be made in cash, either in person or by another person authorised by the passenger.

In all cases, when the passenger does not pay the required surcharge at the point of inspection, the authorised individual ascertains the passenger's personal data and fills in a „Record of Transit Inspection" (ROTI), a copy of which he gives to the passenger and, at the end of his shift hands in the original to the appropriate Transport Company location. Designated employees fill in the receipt date on the ROTI, and enter the prescribed data into the TC debtor database, whereupon each case is automatically given a reference number, under which each case is recorded from the standpoint of its progress. After this operation, the ROTI originals are then handed over to the TC supplementary fee till.

Note: The personal data of passengers who did not pay the imposed surcharge directly at the point of inspection are listed in an automated Transport Company system in accordance with Section 5, par. 2, letter e) of Act No. 101/2000 Coll. on the Protection of Personal Data, as amended, and pursuant to this may be used for collection of the amount owed and also handed over to a law office, courts and executors.

If passengers do not take advantage of the option of paying the imposed surcharge in its reduced amount (and the fare) at the supplementary fee till, then on the basis of an agency agreement the ROTI originals of unpaid cases are handed over to a law office for transit debt collection via civil law at an appropriate local court.

In general, a transit debt is thus understood to be an unpaid fare and surcharge, as well as other costs that are incurred within the scope of the collection process (applies to unpaid cases).

A law office arranges our collection process, which basically has the following main phases:

• pre-suit reminder (PSR)
  This is an attempt at settlement prior to a civil suit being launched (settlement procedure), and is usually submitted within about 2 months after the inspection (even though this legal step is not an obligation of either the carrier or the law office, it is nevertheless taken). In the event that the debtor pays the amount stated in the PSR, the case is thus terminated. If the debtor does not pay within the term stated in the PSR, the case progresses to a discovery court process and a lawsuit ensues.
•   lawsuit
  Is usually launched within 4 – 5 months of the inspection, and no later than 1 year from the day of the inspection. The court issues a decision (payment order) and as soon as it becomes legally binding, the debtor is charged with the obligation to pay the sanction as well as all court costs within a given date (the debtor may request to pay by instalments). In the event that the debtor does not react to the decision (payment order), the final phase of the court process ensues – execution of the decision.
• reminder before submission of motion for execution
  This is an attempt at settlement prior to execution proceedings. The debtor can pick up a postal money order(s) for the amount owed at the law office.
• execution of the court decision
  The motion must be submitted no later than 10 years from the date the court decision becomes legally binding. From the standpoint of fulfilling this step, this means that the amount due can, for example be deducated from the debtor's wages, pension, or account at a financial institution. In the event that none of these measures are effective, confiscation of assets ensues.
• confiscation of assets (sale of movable items)
  Based on a court order, a judicial executor records and marks property of the debtor corresponding to the amount owing; the debtor must not use or dispose of these secured items in any way.

The services of private executors are also used.

We emphasize the fact that if the unpaid case enters the collection process,  the fare surcharge is now in its unreduced amount, i.e. CZK 1000 (CZK 400, CZK 200).

In general it can be said that the total debt grows in proportion to how many judicial acts were utilized for its collection.

The address and office hours of the detached law office field location for the public:

Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy
Prague 2, Na Bojišti 5 (Metro Line C – I. P. Pavlova station)
Ground floor on the left – window no. 5

Mon: 8.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.
Wed: 8.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.

At this location one can find out, among other things, the stage the case is in, the amount owed, the possibility of receiving a postal money order to pay the debt, as well as arranging payment via instalments.

Objections, complaints and claims against transit inspection can be submitted to:

In writing:

Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, odbor Přepravní kontrola
Sokolovská 217/42
90 00 Praha 9

or verbally: Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy
Praha 2 Na Bojišti 5 (Metro Line C - I. P. Pavlova station)
1st Floor, door No. 131

Mon, Tues: 10.00 a.m. – 5.30 p.m.
Wed: 8.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.