Buses in Prague

The bus service in Prague is provided by several transport operators, chiefly by Dopravní podnik hlavního města Prahy, a.s. (Prague Public Transit Co. Inc.). The base system of metropolitan and suburban transport is Prague Integrated Transport, organized by Prague municipal organization ROPID, though several urban and suburban lines are not part of this system. The PID system also includes metro and tram lines,Vltava ferries, a funicular as well as some railway transport.

The first buses in Prague were experimentally operated in 1908 in the Malá Strana district, but due to unreliable technology at the time it was declared a failure after 20 months. Regular service was started on 20 June 1925 and has been continuously in operation since.

In the 1990s and 2000s, the metropolitan system was integrated and expanded with suburban transport as Prague Integrated Transport (Czech: Pražská integrovaná doprava, PID). Some areas (Kladno) are still separate from this system. The buses are fulfilling many different roles in the public transport of Prague. Many lines serve as connections between the metro and residential areas. There are also plans to gradually introduce trunk services, similar to bus rapid transit systems in Latin America.

Buses have had many different roles within Prague's public transport network over the years. Many lines serve as connections from housing areas to the metro, railway or tram stations: many lines serve as local service or as feeder connections (metro and tram lines are primarily diametral). Main terminals of metropolitan buses are near metro stations: Černý Most, Zličín, Háje, Letňany, Nové Butovice, Želivského, Českomoravská, Kačerov, Budějovická, Depo Hostivař, Dejvická, Na Knížecí (Anděl), Skalka, Palmovka, Nádraží Holešovice, Florenc etc. Some suburban and long-distance buses stop at these stations. The main stations of long-distance buses are Florenc (), Černý Most and Zličín.

Since 2008, ROPID is implementing a plan to differentiate rachial lines with small intervals and articulated buses. Some telematic systems are widely implemented (GPS monitoring, traffic signal preference).

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