Ayudh Ray

21 years oldBrnoBrno-Starý LískovecPiráti

Running for Piráti a Fakt Brno TU (na magistrát), Piráti a Zelení (ve Starém Lískovci)

Main topics

transport

I want to push for faster development of transport infrastructure, especially building and extending tram lines, where the city is lagging behind, e.g. to Bosonohy or Vinohrady. Another priority is traffic light priority, so that public transport vehicles don't get stuck in traffic jams, and introducing express bus lines to speed up journeys on key sections. We also need to shorten service intervals, while the city is doing the exact opposite. I also push for investment in retrofitting vehicles with air conditioning and in more modern stops with shelters, greenery and better facilities with water features. Part of the solution is also building P+R car parks, which will help reduce traffic in the centre and motivate drivers to use faster, more comfortable and safer public transport.

public space

Brno needs to fundamentally improve the quality of its public space. Today the city falls short in many places – there's a lack of more greenery, shade and quick measures against ever more frequent heatwaves. When streets and squares are reconstructed, there must be more emphasis on planting trees, cooling spaces and adding water features, which Brno still has a great shortage of. Likewise, the maintenance and cleanliness of public places need to improve. The main railway station, which is the gateway to the city, has long looked undignified, and its surroundings need fundamental change. Brno must take better care of its public spaces and remove barriers for pedestrians. Česká Street can be an example of a successful reconstruction, but further improvements need to think even more about trees, shade and a pleasant environment for residents.

housing

Brno must start taking a more active approach to housing. Affordable housing is a basic condition for the city's future, and without it Brno can't keep developing as a strong university city. Housing is today one of Brno's biggest problems, and the city lags well behind a number of comparable European cities in this area. A major priority must be supporting the construction of affordable and, above all, student housing. If we want to remain a major university city, we have to offer students options that match their needs, for example smaller flats and modern forms of housing suitable for young people. Brno should also maintain and expand its own housing stock in the long term and take inspiration from cities like Vienna, which show that public investment in housing makes sense.

A few words about me

I'm Ayudh Ray, I'm 21 and I've lived in Brno for more than ten years. I'm a student at the Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism of Charles University. I've long been interested mainly in transport, urbanism and geography, but also in travelling, which has given me the chance to get to know how cities work in different parts of Europe and to compare their strengths and weaknesses.

I started getting actively involved in public life while I was still at school. I served as 1st vice-chair of the Regional Student Assembly of the South Moravian Region and I'm now a member of its supervisory board, which gives me experience of how public institutions work and I know the needs of young people. I'm also a member of the Council of the National Forum and coordinator of Mladé Pirátstvo in the South Moravian Region, where I focus mainly on involving young people in how the organisation works, organising debates and discussions, and opening up topics that interest the young generation. In this way I build communities that enrich young people's public lives.

I come from India, but the Czech Republic has been my home for more than a decade. I speak 5 languages, and thanks in part to my experience of different environments, I try to bring a broader perspective on how a city can work better.

I'm running because I don't want a Brno that has no clear, long-term vision. I want the city to make full use of its potential, take inspiration from successful European cities and become an even better and more modern place to live, study and work.

The candidate's texts have been machine-translated from Czech.