Government to decide on metro replacement buses by July 5

Budapest, June 30 (MTI) – The government supports the revamp of Budapest’s third metro line and will be ready with a plan to secure replacement buses by July 5, government office chief János Lázár told Klubrádio late on Wednesday.

Lázár said the government was “happy to help” Budapest with the metro upgrade financially, adding that the two sides are still in talks about the details of the government’s contribution.

Regarding the replacement buses needed for the project, Lázár said the capital should also consider the capacities of Hungary’s bus industry.

He said Hungary expects to buy around one thousand buses over the next couple of years and added that the country has 6-8 bus manufacturing companies of its own. “We are lobbying for Hungarian bus companies,” the government office chief said.

Around 150 articulated buses are needed to replace metro services.

In June, the local council decided to contract bus services along the line for the time of the renovation as favoured by the government, rather than buying buses, but only if the government covers the cost exceeding that of acquiring the necessary buses.

Budapest Mayor István Tarlós said on Wednesday that if the government did not give guarantees that it will cover the extra cost of contracting bus services instead of buying buses by the July 5 deadline, the capital would use its own funds to buy replacement buses for the metro upgrade.

The metro upgrade will cost about 140 billion forints (EUR 441.8m) and is scheduled to start in November.

Photo: MTI

Source: mtva.hu