Significant change in Budapest’s public transport from 2025: security increases

In the mayoral election campaign, Dávid Vitézy, an independent candidate backed by the Hungarian Green Party, the opposition LMP, and later PM Orbán’s Fidesz, said the Budapest Transport Company should set up an independent law enforcement body that can guarantee a higher level of safety and security on their public transport vehicles. The new structure will start work in 2025. Here is what we already know about their tasks and authority.

Homeless people on trams, buses

In social media, passengers often complain about the unbearable and abominable circumstances they sometimes face while travelling with BKK public transport vehicles. The situation is worse in the suburban and outer district lines where homeless people regularly occupy seats despite not having showered for weeks or using them as a toilet.

Dávid Vitézy, a mayoral candidate in the 9 June elections who slightly lost to Gergely Karácsony with only a couple of hundred votes, submitted a proposal to the first municipal council sitting about setting up a law enforcement body for BKK. Despite arguing about multiple issues, the Municipal Council accepted Vitézy’s proposal unopposed.

The mayor who never was. Dávid Vitézy. Photo: FB/Vitézy

Magyar Hang asked Ambrus Kiss, the former deputy mayor of Budapest and the current general director of the Budapest mayoral office, about how the project was advancing. Mr Kiss said the new unit would be an independent body, but integrated under the Budapest law enforcement directorate FÖRI.

Budapest’s public transport will be safer

He added that there were employees whose task was to assure safety and the passengers’ compliance with the travel conditions. BKK’s security service helped them before, and now, the two bodies will be merged, and the number of employees will increase to 50.

Mr Kiss added that they could only decide about a further employee number increase after the 2025 budget is accepted. Furthermore, they would review the new system’s effectiveness because “billions can be spent without being more effective”.

Photo: FB/BKK

The new law enforcement authority will exclude anybody from travelling unless they comply with the rules. They can also ask for identification documents. However, they will need help from the police if somebody refuses to show them their identification documents or has a weapon.

Integrated service to help drivers

Mr Kiss highlighted the new unit should not be against homeless people because if somebody stinks, is drunk or aggressive, it does not mean they are homeless.

He added that they would create an integrated dispatcher service for BKV, BKK and FÖRI. They plan to place a button in the BudapestGO app which lets the user call the service directly. He hopes that the update will be ready by next March.

Do not forget to buy your ticket. Photo: FB/BKK

Gábor Naszályi, a BKK trade union chairman, said that most problems derived from dodgers instead of homeless people. He said the drivers are not able to argue with all of them and convince them to purchase a ticket or a pass. An electronic monitoring system could help, but that project failed in 2018, under the Fidesz leadership. Therefore, the drivers are looking forward to the new unit.

Read also:

• Budapest’s ticket machines to get a modern makeover, busy flyover renovation begins – read more HERE
• New era for Hungarian transport: New national transport giant set to form