Deterring penalties on the Hungarian railways: one route can cost EUR 128
The Hungarian railways (MÁV Group) has announced on its website on Wednesday that, starting Thursday, a uniform penalty fare of HUF 25,000 (EUR 64) will apply across its trains, matching the amount charged in Budapest’s local transport and on the HÉV suburban rail network. This fine will be the same whether paid directly on board or via postal payment.
The testing period is over
Since last autumn, purchasing a ticket in advance has been compulsory within the Budapest suburban zone on MÁV Group trains; passengers are only allowed to board with a valid ticket or pass. Previously, those caught travelling without a valid ticket and paying the penalty fare on board benefited from a lower fine than if they settled the payment later by postal order.
The grace period for this regulation ends on 16 October, and from then on, a standardised penalty fare will be enforced, even though fare dodging, which now affects only one in 200 passengers, is becoming increasingly rare.
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The difference in penalty amounts was originally justified by the lower availability of self-service ticket purchasing options compared to the current situation.
Hungarian railways carried out developments
With the introduction of a new fare system based on national and county passes, travelling with the Hungarian railways has not only become more affordable but also much simpler in terms of ticket and pass purchase. This is thanks to ticket vending machines installed nationwide, as well as mobile phone applications that allow tickets or passes to be purchased anytime and anywhere.
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The MÁV Group emphasises that the introduction of uniform penalty fares was preceded by the longest-ever grace period and an extensive awareness campaign. For more than a full year, the new penalty amounts defined by law were not enforced on board, and passengers were warned about the changes at all relevant stations and stops through informative materials.
No mercy, a train ride may even cost EUR 128
They also explain that if a passenger forgets their valid pass at home and faces a penalty fare, they can present their valid pass retroactively for HUF 2,600 (EUR 7.17). Since last December, paying the penalty fare retroactively within 30 days also costs HUF 25,000, while payments made after 30 days increase to HUF 50,000 (EUR 128).
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