Sledding rules in Prague to change

Following an incident, Prague wants to change a city ordinance that prohibits sledding and cross-country in parks and gardens.

On Tuesday morning, police officers prohibited about 40 children and 7 accompanying adults from sledding on the Petřín hill. The patrol informed them about an ordinance banning these activities in Prague's parks and did not impose any fines. There were also several skiers and snowboarders present - one of them dressed as Borat.

Skiing, sledding or snowboarding is prohibited in selected gardens or parks. According to Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), the appropriate ordinance is twenty years old and should be amended.

The Mayor stated that it was good children are spending time outdoors when schools are closed due to the pandemic. The Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček (ČSSD) said that city police should intervene as skiing on Petřín hill is not in accordance with the law.

Hřib described statements from some government members as unfortunate. According to him, only sledding on four-man bobsleighs while not wearing face masks after the 9 p.m. curfew should be considered illegal.