We care a great deal about the services we offer our customers, so we regularly draw inspiration from around the world and look for benchmarks.
Most recently we have set our sights on the French capital, Paris, and its boat traffic.
At first glance you will notice that the Parisian embankments are just as bustling and full of boats as those in Prague. After a while of watching, however, you will find that boat traffic on the Seine is significantly denser than that on the Vltava in Prague. Many more boats of various sizes and ages sail there. The difference is also visible in that in Prague the embankments serve as pedestrian zones where pedestrians can move about safely, whereas in the Parisian ones buses park, leaving little space for pedestrians.
However, Parisian and Prague boat traffic share a similar history, dating back to the 19th century. In our country, as is well known, the pioneer of passenger boat traffic was Pražská paroplavba, which recently celebrated 150 years since its founding in 1865.
In Paris the earliest mention in the press from 1887 speaks of "bateaux-mouches" (flying boats) as follows: "The river boats which carry passengers on the Seine, across Paris and the suburbs, are screw-driven vessels powered by steam". (loosely translated)
In both cities, boat traffic has a long tradition and simply is part of their history.
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