Brno Grand Prix? Tickets at risk of becoming more expensive
The most expensive item each year before the Grand Prix is the reforestation fee. This year it was about one hundred and fifteen million crowns. "The mass of people who come to Brno at the Grand Prix will spend money on accommodation, food or entertainment, which should more or less offset the costs associated with organising the event, including the reforestation fee," said Petr Pelc, an economist.
According to him, the importance of the race is also in attracting tourists to the city. "Brno does not have so many global tourist attractions. The big prize attracts visitors there and from abroad. For Brno it is as important as, for example, the Turan airport or the exhibition grounds. And these are projects that are supported with public money," added the economist.
Grand Prix in Brno
- costs for the past five years: CZK 686 million
- profits from the past five years: CZK 682 million
- Problem: Lack of money for hosting, increasing reforestation fee for promoter Dorna
- possible solutions: More money from the state, use of advertising space, increase in ticket prices
- state of play: Negotiations on a new contract for the organisation of races for the next five years
According to the director of the Institute of Public Administration, Filip Hrůza, the organizers now have to evaluate whether the race is advantageous for Brno. "The Grand Prix drains money from public budgets for other issues. To some extent, however, it is a political issue and not an economic one," he thinks.
In the future, the cost of a motorsport event may be even higher, because the option of increasing the reforestation fee to almost double is in play.
"The situation is not closed, we must try to negotiate the best possible terms with Dorna. It also depends on the extent to which the state is prepared to contribute to the organisation of the race. If the worst case scenarios materialise, I fear that it is not realistic for the city and the county to pay the amount," said Markéta Vaňková, the mayor of Brno.
As the Journal of Equality has already reported, representatives of the South Moravian Region and Brno are also discussing the possibility of using advertising due to difficulties in raising money for the Grand Prix. "Dorna's condition is that advertising must be placed in places that are not occupied by cameras. The choice of companies is also limited, because if Dorna has a general sponsor, then the second sponsor cannot be a company from the same area," explained Vaňková.
In the coming years, organizers can also get more money from tickets. "We have to sit down and say what the costs will actually be. And we have to adjust the revaluation of tickets," said Petr Vokřál, the Brno opposition representative for the ANO movement and former mayor.
D5 accident: Motorway closed by truck collision
The incident was reported around 08: 00 on the 22nd kilometre in the direction of Prague. "The motorway is closed, at least for freight traffic. Passenger cars can go through a petrol station," police spokesperson Michaela Richterová said in the morning. Traffic was restored around 14: 30. According to Richter, the preliminary damage is at least two million crowns, the cause of the accident is being investigated by the police.
A spokesman for the Central Bohemian fire department, Petr Svoboda, said that one truck was carrying passenger cars and the other a plastic granulate. "Due to the large impact, the transported vehicles were moved, which the fire department had to first secure against a possible fall," he added.
One of the cars had a damaged fuel tank, which leaked about 200 liters of diesel fuel. Another 200 liters were drained by firefighters. Workers from the environment department of Beroun City Council were called to the accident due to a fuel leak. The rescue of the crashed vehicles and the clearing of the highway were provided by a private company, which also removed contaminated soil.
