Liberals urge compromise over ‘party district’ opening hours

The Liberal Party has proposed a compromise between local residents, catering businesses in Budapest’s 7th district and the municipality, concerning the opening hours of bars and pubs in the district’s contested “party zone”.

Viktor Szabadai, the head of the Liberals’ Budapest board, urged locals to vote in an upcoming referendum against rules under which bars would be closed after midnight, in the interest of a “sensible compromise”.

Szabadai suggested that the city of Budapest, which collects the business tax from the bars and restaurants, should return a larger share of the funds to the district than it does now.

The Liberals have also asked the district mayor to urge pubs and bars to have their rooms sound isolated, as well as to facilitate rehousing for locals in municipally owned units.

At the local referendum set for February 18, citizens will vote whether the pubs and clubs in the “party” area should close between midnight and 6 am. The measure would impact around 400-500 venues, including many of the city’s popular “ruin pubs”. The noise of party-goers and the extended opening hours have been a subject of a long-standing feud between residents, apartment leasers and club owners.

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Source: MTI