Estimated damage to transport infrastructure has topped 7 billion crowns, of which roads and motorways alone register damage surpassing 4 billion crowns and railways 2.4 billion crowns, according to Transport Fund director Pavel Svagr.

Investigating devastated inland waterways has just begun, but Svagr expects the figure higher than 1 billion crowns. The Transport Fund transferred 1 billion crowns within regular payments to all regional road directorates and rail operator Ceske drahy ten days ahead of schedule, and the bodies therefore have enough money to start repairing the damage.

The 0.5 billion crowns that the Fund earmarked, along with an early payment of regular sums, could be sufficient for the first wave of repairs, according to Svagr, who said he expects the money will be exhausted very fast, and so the Fund will look for other ways of restructuring its budget for this year.

(NewsBase 26.viii.02)