Prague public transport launches real-time map of tram and bus locations

Prague's integrated public transport authority PID has given city travelers a small gift to kick off 2021: long-awaited real-time data about tram locations that will be rolled out to services across the city.

For now, the real-time data can be found on an online map at PID's official website. It will soon be rolled be rolled out across related platforms, including the Lítačka app, and also provided to third-party services like Google Maps.

The map on the PID website is not precisely real-time, but updated with current tram and bus locations every thirty seconds.

A green dot represents that a tram or bus is on schedule (within three minutes), while orange and red dots mean the vehicle is running late.

“Integrated transport, it is not only the ability to use one ticket for all modes of transport, but also the ability to get up-to-date information on all connections regardless of the carrier in one place," Petr Tomčík, director of the Regional Organizer of Prague Integrated Transport (ROPID), stated in a press release.

"The current location of trams is the last stone in the mosaic of comprehensive information for passengers. Thanks to its integration in the PID open data system, this information can be used for applications by anyone who is interested in it."

Real-time data about Prague bus locations has been made available since the beginning of 2020, but the tram data and the PID map of locations are both new features launched at the end of the year.

"Finally, Praguers will be able to reliably find out whether the tram they are waiting for has already left or will arrive soon," Prague Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr stated in a press release.

"Information on the positions of vehicles and the signal in the metro are among the basics of modern public transport."

Scheinherr added that the city is continuing to roll out LTE mobile coverage throughout Prague metro stations, and that 36 of Prague's 61 stations are now covered. All of the city's stations should be covered by the end of 2022.