Modern payment method rolled out across Budapest metro!

Contactless payment terminals started operation across Budapest’s metro lines on Wednesday, the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, announced on a press conference.

Cashless contactless ticket purchases

Cashless contactless ticket purchases are now possible on Budapest’s metro lines, with the Pay&GO bank card payment service becoming available at the entrances to all stations from Wednesday.

At a press conference heralding the launch, Mayor Gergely Karácsony said efforts were under way to preserve the competitiveness of public transport in Budapest and deliver a service “far more attractive than driving”. A key element, he added, was harnessing the opportunities of digitalisation.

The mayor noted that the upgrade primarily offers occasional passengers and tourists a simple, swift way to buy tickets. The service had previously been available on the 100E airport buses and the M1 small underground line, and the system has now been rolled out more widely, he explained.

Ambitious plans

Mr Karácsony recalled that the Budapest General Assembly approved the electronic ticketing concept in February, prompting the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) to initiate the procurement processes that enabled Wednesday’s metro rollout.

He highlighted plans to extend the system to every public transport vehicle in the capital by 2028.

Next level for Budapest’s public transport

Ádám Bodor, BKK’s deputy chief executive for mobility, described the robust IT infrastructure behind the service, which registers bank card use and single-journey ticket purchases in a central system. The experience gathered on the metro lines in the coming period would be vital for the reliable operation of the future electronic ticketing system, he said.

Tibor Berkes, product development head for Mastercard’s Central European division, said the company was proud to partner with BKK and K&H Bank on a development that represented “not just an expansion, but the next level for Budapest’s public transport”.

The system works by tapping a bank card or smart device on a new reader placed alongside traditional validators at metro entrances before travel, to purchase a single-journey ticket. The card or device then serves as proof of purchase during inspections.

Karácsony: Budapest plans on use of EU funds ready

Budapest has planned development projects worth a combined 300 billion forints (EUR 826.6m) in recent years “calculating with the EU’s cohesion resources,” which are ready for implementation as soon as European Union funds become available, Mayor Gergely Karácsony told the 2nd Budapest Earth Day Conference on Wednesday.

Karácsony said that “the current situation gives Hungary and Budapest a historic chance”, adding that he was “rooting” for the new government’s success concerning the release of frozen European Union funding to Hungary.

According to Karácsony, if the city’s planned environmental programmes are implemented, Budapest could bid for the Europe’s Green Capital title in 2029.

Noting that Budapest is the fastest-shrinking city in Europe, Karácsony said the plans aim to prevent the city from further shrinking and build one that retains its population. Citing international examples, such as Vienna, he said that the city’s population could even be increased through improving the quality of life. He said a “revolution” of public transport was needed to make it possible for city dwellers to reach public services within 15 minutes.

Out of the 300 billion forints allocated, the city would spend 178 billion on transport, 50 billion on public area development, 38 billion on flood protection and waste water management and 34 billion on projects concerning equal opportunities, housing and welfare services, the mayor said.

The Budapest projects have been included in operative programmes of the EU, but their implementation was halted after the funds for Hungary were frozen two years ago, Karácsony said, adding that only 18 percent of them had financing agreements with the EU as yet.

Concrete projects include tramline developments on the outskirts of the city, a complete reconstruction of the area around Nyugati railway station, the purchasing of CAF trams, 160 trolleybuses, and preparations to build an electric bus fleet, Karácsony said. He also mentioned the Rakosrendezo project, which he said was of historic significance, and another scheme worth 50 billion forints, aimed at increasing the city’s green areas, with special regard to the area around the City Hall and Grand Boulevard.

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