Free public transport may come in Hungary even for foreigners and tourists

János Lázár, Hungary’s Minister of Construction and Development, shares gobsmacking plans one after another. Recently, he discussed the prospect of sending home all foreign companies involved in the construction and building materials sector. Just yesterday, he announced a proposal for free public transport for children under 14. While he didn’t delve into many details, the initiative appears to exclude foreigners.

János Lázár, Hungary’s Minister of Construction and Development, faces a challenging situation. Once a prominent figure in the third Orbán government (2014-2018), was widely considered a potential future prime minister of Hungary. However, in 2018, Orbán did not include him in his cabinet, and he served as a regular MP in Hódmezővásárhely. This move favoured Orbán’s opponent, Péter Márki-Zay, the PM candidate of the joint opposition in 2022.

In 2022, Lázár could make a comeback to the government, facing a different scenario than in 2018 when he was compelled to leave. Fidesz secured its fourth consecutive landslide victory in 2022, but the country faced worrisome challenges. The treasury was depleted due to pre-election money transfers, soaring inflation eroded savings and salaries and vital investments and development projects stalled due to frozen EU RRF and development funds over rule of law concerns. Consequently, Lázár’s portfolio became one of the least popular, marked by the discontinuation of various development projects. Additionally, the Hungarian State Railways, under his purview, experienced regular and significant delays, prompting public outcry.

Good news for tourists and foreigners?

Seeking to boost his popularity, Lázár initiates measures such as attending road inaugurations (e.g., Pápa-Győr expressway HERE), introducing popular county passes (HERE) and now proposing free public transport for children under 14.

During his two-hour speech yesterday, as a guest speaker of the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lázár highlighted the unprecedented popularity of MÁV and Volán, attributing it to the success of the new county pass sold to 3.6 million people, as reported by 444.hu.

While Lázár mentioned plans for free public transport for children under 14, he withheld specifics and dates. Importantly, he did not specify that the measure would exclusively apply to Hungarian citizens, raising the possibility of even foreign families enjoying more affordable travel in Hungary, pending approval of the initiative.

Lázár stressed the government’s substantial investment in public transport, raising questions about how companies utilise this support and the quality of services they offer to users.

Read also:

• Next Friday Budapest Airport may get a new owner: everything will change? – Read more in THIS article
• HERE is how and when you can travel on one of Hungary’s oldest buses, the ‘Nejlon Piroska’