Budapest may ban cars from several downtown streets to create more pedestrians-only zones

Dávid Vitézy, the former mayoral candidate backed by Orbán’s Fidesz, now leading the Podmaniczky Movement in the city’s municipal assembly, would like to create more pedestrians-only streets in the Hungarian capital. Therefore, he wants to ban cars from several downtown Budapest streets in Inner Elizabethtown, the city’s 7th district.

Budapest may ban cars from several downtown streets

In his Facebook post, Vitézy reminded his followers that he announced his mayoral candidacy one year ago and promised to improve the quality of public spaces and work to create more pedestrian-only zones. He also reminded his followers that 371 thousand Budapesters supported his programme on 9 June.

Vitézy wrote that decades ago, cars ruled Budapest’s iconic shopping “avenue”, Váci Street, and there was a parking lot on the Vörösmarty Square where, among others, Budapest’s popular Christmas fairs are held each year. He added that under his BKK (Budapest Transport Centre) presidency, they changed the role of the inner half of the Madách Square, which became a pedestrian zone.

However, there was no further progress in the past decade. Vitézy said that the municipal council had the power to modify the Budapest traffic order, so they should not wait for the local councils of the districts in that regard. This is why Vitézy proposed the passenger-friendly modification of five downtown streets: Kazinczy Street, Dob Street, Imre Madách Street, Asbóth Street and Kis Diófa Street. According to Vitézy, the modification does not require significant construction work, and they can have a 6-month test period to finalise the new traffic order on those streets.

A safer alternative for the busiest streets

He would like the municipal council to be brave and try out how these streets would function after the present-day dangerous and chaotic traffic order gave place to a modernised, modified safer alternative. He added that Inner Elizabethtown has the highest passenger traffic and is one of the most built-up areas of the city. The narrow streets are not suitable to serve both passenger and car traffic. As a result, every day is chaotic, but the decision-makers have not intervened in the past decade.

7th district mayor Niedermüller criticises the initiative

Péter Niedermüller, a former MEP of Former PM Gyurcsány’s Democratic Coalition and the re-elected mayor of the 7th district wrote an open letter to Vitézy in the issue, which he shared on Facebook. He said that the local council has a development strategy on how to create pedestrians-only zones, so they do not need intervention from the Budapest Municipal Council. Nieredmüller highlighted that they are the democratically-elected representatives of the locals, and they should decide on how to modify traffic order in Inner Elizabethtown. Niedermüller called on Vitézy to withdraw his proposal and start negotiations with the district leadership.

Vitézy: we must move forward

Vitézy said in a counter-reaction that the municipal assembly is empowered to change the traffic order. But they, of course, will negotiate with the 7th district since the streets where there is no public transport are in the district ownership and they would not like to do anything which is not in line with the owners’ interests. Vitézy said that the parties could not make progress in the previous term, so now the municipal council must exercise its powers and begin the project. However, even accepting his proposal would mean that developing the project may begin. That would include negotiations with the mayor and the local council. He also invited Niedermüller for a meeting before the Wednesday session of Vitézy’s committee which will discuss and decide on the matter.

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