Between 2014 and 2023, state and EU support amounting to CZK 9.5 billion was provided to municipalities for the construction and reconstruction of pedestrian roads. The main aim was to make these roads safer and more barrier-free. During the audit, the SAO found that the support was not always directed where it would bring the greatest benefit. Almost three quarters of the 23 projects audited had serious deficiencies. The projects did not eliminate many bottlenecks and often did not ensure safe crossing for people with reduced mobility. The SAO also found that some new sidewalks were not maintained by municipalities, were overgrown with vegetation, cars were parked on them, etc.
The number and severity of the deficiencies identified are indicative of the poor functioning of the support system. Moreover, the system is administratively demanding for both beneficiaries and providers. The SAO therefore recommends that the system be changed. "Safety and barrier-free pavements are of course important. However, the conditions of support do not sufficiently motivate the beneficiaries to use it efficiently and economically. The amount of the state and EU contribution ranges from 85 % to 95 %, and municipalities with such a high level of subsidy support also finance reconstruction of roads that do not need it very much. We are convinced that the financial support from the state should only supplement the municipalities' resources in this area, not replace them. After all, it is the municipalities that own the pavements," said a member of the SAO Jan Kinštwho conducted the inspection. He said that consideration should also be given to the possibility of using alternative types of aid, such as loan guarantees, interest rate subsidies or repayable loans.
https://twitter.com/NKU_CZ/status/1883778567793946839
The audit showed that neither the Ministry of Transport (MoT) nor the Ministry of Regional Development (MoRD) know what overall results they want to achieve with the support, nor what progress has been made. There was no proper monitoring of what was built with state and EU support. For example, the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI) extended the deadline for the beneficiary to submit the final evaluation of an action from 2014 to 2015 for a total of almost CZK 6 million 16 times. The beneficiary did not submit the report until the time of the SAO audit in June 2024 and the SFDI did not approve it until the audit was completed. Nine years after completion, the project remains unevaluated. The SAO carried out an on-site inspection and found a number of serious deficiencies which SFDI will address with the beneficiary. While the condition of the pavements in the village has improved, pedestrian safety has not significantly improved and some problem areas for people with reduced mobility or orientation have not been resolved.
When selecting projects, the MMR and SFDI based their selection on information provided by applicants for support without verifying it. At the same time, applicants often evaluated the initial situation in an excessively negative way and, on the contrary, exaggerated the benefits of the projects. In some cases, they declared that the reconstruction of a pedestrian road would be the aim, but in the end it was only repairs - for which the support was not intended.
The results of the audit of individual projects, including documentation, are available here.
SAO/ gnews - RoZ
ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO - pixabay
English 
Czech 
Spanish 
French 
Italian 
German 
Russian