Regime change in parking in Budapest: Parking ticket machines may be removed in 2026

Dávid Vitézy, the former mayoral candidate of the Hungarian Green Party, LMP, and also supported by PM Orbán’s Fidesz at the 9 June elections, would like to introduce an entirely new system for parking in Budapest in 2026. He believes such a system would be clear of potential corruption, and also cheaper and easier to use.

Parking in Budapest could change fundamentally

According to Népszava, Vitézy would remove all parking ticket machines from the Hungarian capital by 2026. According to his calculations, half of the revenue is spent on their operation. He would like to introduce an entirely online and universal parking system which he believes would be cheaper and clear of possible corruption.

This is not the first time Vitézy slammed the current mixed system of parking ticket machines and mobile payment services because he believes operators of the ticket machines make a lot of money disappear. Vitézy would like to submit his proposal at the Municipal Council’s session next week.

View of Reviczky Street in Budapest, Hungary. Photo: depositphotos.com

He added that more than 80% of the drivers no longer used parking ticket machines. Instead, they buy their ticket on their phone. He would like to attach the new online parking system to the license plates of the cars.

BudapestGO app must be developed, expanded

Népszava wrote that this plan requires the expansion of the BudapestGo app. However, the costs would reach HUF hundreds of millions (EUR millions), and the project would take months. The proposal would dismiss hundreds of traffic wardens in Budapest. Vitézy would monitor parking with cars equipped with proper surveillance cameras.

Vitézy would also like to abolish the so-called “comfort fee” drivers pay for the Nemzeti Mobilfizetési Ltd. to enable them to pay for parking via mobile. He would like the Municipality of Budapest to take the initiative to the government to abolish it. Moreover, he would not like to introduce it in the BudapestGO app. The deadline for developing the new online system would be next December.

If all his proposals were accepted, from 2026, we could pay for parking in Budapest only via phone or online.

Photo: facebook.com/sopronitamas.momentum

Here is Karácsony’s proposal package concerning parking

In a reaction, Mayor Gergely Karácsony also announced proposals concerning Budapest’s parking system. He started the post by saying that he would like to create a more effective, easier and fairer parking system in Budapest.

He would like to make parking cheaper for BKK pass holders. Furthermore, he would like to transform the BudapestGO app into a universal and general (public) transport app. He would also like to remove all parking ticket machines because their operation costs too much. Instead, he would like the money to remain in the district coffers (the local governments of the Budapest districts pay high sums for the operation of the mobile payment system now).

Finally, he would like to abolish free parking for cars with a green vehicle registration plate because he believes that only makes poorer car owners pay for the parking of the rich owners.

Read also:

• Shocking parking fee hike in Budapest: Residents of this district face a staggering 17x increase – read more HERE
• Free parking for many cars in Budapest could soon disappear