Mainly on the Elbe River - Central Europe

5. To ensure more convenient motivational environment to increase share of waterway
transport in multimodal/fractional transport, e.g. by tax relieves for road users
transporting to and from ports, fee reduction for railway users transporting to and from
ports etc.
6. To address the solution of the D-O-E project in accordance with European interests and
to begin its realization in cooperation with all participating countries until the year 2020.
7. To codify the basic infrastructure of inland public ports as part of national transport
network by introducing the new law on State Fund of Transport Infrastucture and the law
amendment no. 114/1996 Coll.; and consequently to facilitate development of the current
multimodal PLCs by introducing investment projects in order to shift transport of
commodities from road transport to railway and waterway transport in accordance with
the declared policy of the state and of the EU.
4.2 IMPROVEMENTS OF NAVIGABILITY CONDITIONS ON THE ELBE – THE
DĚČÍN NAVIGABLE LOCK
Full utilization of the Elbe waterway is prevented by 40 km long stretch of the river between Ústí
nad Labem and the state border with Germany. The chart below presents so-called “guaranteed
water levels”, i.e. water levels officially set at the water gauge in Ústí nad Labem determined by the
State administration for navigation. These water levels are authoritative for vessel operators to
calculate the allowed vessel draft for navigation between Ústí nad Labem and the German border.
Year overview of ensured water stage (quantity of the days)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
draught less than 110 cm 176 107 28 30 76 125 52
draught less than 140 cm 218 184 122 137 177 202 152
draught less or equalling to 140 cm 224 198 134 161 183 182 165
draught more than 140 cm 141 167 231 204 182 154 199
Source:The Ministry of Transport of the CR
• draft less than 110 cm – days of virtually suspended navigation for low water levels
• draft less than 140 cm – days of allowed draft under economic interface for operation
• draft less and equal to 140 cm – days of allowed draft under economic interface for
operation including days with water level 200 cm water level – 140 cm draft
• draft more than 140 cm – days of profitable navigation
The statistical data from the Transport yearbook of the CR indicate that after a period
of decrease, an increase in the inland waterway transport volumes occurred between 2005 - 2007;
the increase reached 14,6 % in 2008 however, the transport volumes decreased again 15 %. The
A feasibility study for “Improvement of Conditions for the River Transport in Central Europe (mainly on the Elbe
River)“ realized within the ChemLog project 141