Hungarians do not buy train tickets – MÁV constantly gets billions from them
In September of 2019, approximately 300 thousand fines were handed over to those passengers who did not validate a ticket on a certain train in Hungary. From this amount of penalties, MÁV got an average of 5.8 billion HUF (17 million EUR) income.
Pénzcentrum reported that the later someone pays the fine, the more expensive it will get. Every passenger should send the money by check or pay at the scene to prevent an incredible amount penalty. Statistics showed that more and more passengers are willing to pay their bills. Still, while in 2017, 63 million HUF (186,000 EUR) was paid this number increased by 100 million HUF (296,000 EUR) last year.
Between 2014 and 2018, out of 93,000 passengers, the ticket inspectors of MÁV found 28,800 cases in which passengers did not have a validated ticket. Out of these people, 18,500 have been caught four or more times. The value of the fines almost reached 3 billion HUF (8 million EUR).
Employees of MÁV are continually trying to make the passengers cooperating with them by calling them, sending text messages and letters to pay their fines as soon as possible. The Hungarian State Railways are doing their best to find these people and to develop methods to prevent passengers from travelling without tickets.
The fine at the moment someone gets caught is 2,600 HUF (8 EUR) while paying after leaving the vehicle costs 8,000 HUF (24 EUR). If the passengers do not pay after thirty days the fine increases by 12,000 HUF (35 EUR).
Featured image: Daily News Hungary
A passenger travelling 760 times without a ticket is acquitted at court in Hungary
A man travelled at least 760 times without a ticket in Hungary between September 2011 and August 2016 on the railway line of Nagykáta-Budapest. He caused an 11,000,000 HUF (37,081 USD) financial loss to MÁV (Hungarian State Railways).
Source: www.penzcentrum.hu