Hungary’s Minister for Transport and Investment, Dávid Vitézy, has pledged that by September no Volánbusz service should be cancelled because of spare parts shortages, after inheriting what he described as a severe maintenance and procurement crisis.
During a visit to one of Volánbusz’s largest maintenance depots in Fót, Vitézy said the number of buses out of service due to missing spare parts had already fallen significantly, but warned that further work is needed to restore the country’s ageing fleet.
Idle buses reduced from 290 to 170
According to the minister, when the new leadership took office in May, 290 vehicles were unable to operate because replacement parts were unavailable. He said that figure has since fallen to 170, with the government aiming to eliminate service cancellations caused by spare parts shortages before the new school year begins in September.
“Volánbusz’s problems did not emerge overnight, and unfortunately they cannot be solved overnight either,” Vitézy wrote on Facebook. He added that crisis management over the past two months had prevented the country’s long-distance bus network from facing a much more serious disruption during the hectic summer season.
Vitézy blames predecessor János Lázár
The minister placed responsibility for the crisis squarely on his predecessor, János Lázár, arguing that excessive centralisation of procurement within the MÁV Group had crippled the supply chain.
According to Vitézy, all purchasing, logistics, warehousing and spare parts management for Hungary’s state transport companies had been concentrated in a single organisation, resulting in widespread shortages once existing supply contracts expired in April and May.
He claimed that by the end of May more than half of the required spare part types were unavailable at Volánbusz maintenance facilities, preventing mechanics from repairing broken-down vehicles. Vitézy also alleged that replacement procurement procedures had not been launched in time before previous contracts expired, leaving workshops without the components they needed.
Round-the-clock repairs
Speaking from the Fót depot, Vitézy praised maintenance staff, saying mechanics have been working 24 hours a day, seven days a week alongside ministry officials and MÁV Group employees to return buses to service.
He thanked workers for preventing what he described as the potential collapse of Volánbusz operations during one of the most occupied periods of the year, when additional transport capacity is required for major events such as the Hungarian Grand Prix. According to the minister, around 40 vehicles were being used to support Formula 1-related passenger transport over the weekend.
Long-term problems remain
While progress has been made in restoring spare parts supplies, Vitézy acknowledged that the challenges facing Volánbusz extend beyond procurement.
He said maintenance workshops continue to suffer from staff shortages, while much of the national fleet is reaching the end of its operational life. In particular, the motorway-capable coaches used on longer-distance routes have each travelled more than one million kilometres and are overdue for replacement.
More on public transport: Budapest public transport explained — Tickets, passes, fines and airport connections
Fleet renewal already under way
The government is already continuing a major fleet modernisation programme launched by the previous administration. Between 2025 and 2027, Volánbusz is expected to receive 1,000 new Hungarian-built vehicles, many of them air-conditioned, low-floor vehicles equipped with modern passenger information systems.
Earlier this year, MÁV Group took delivery of its 500th new bus, with the 700th expected before the end of 2026 and the remaining 300 scheduled to enter service by 2027.
Vitézy said that after stabilising day-to-day operations, the government’s priority will be restoring reliable spare parts supply chains, strengthening maintenance capacity and completing the long-term renewal of Hungary’s ageing bus fleet.
Read also: Easier after dark as Budapest expands night transport to a lot more suburbs
