Opposition: Budapest transport company should hold back payment until revamped metro trains work perfectly

Budapest, March 22 (MTI) – The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) party has called for payment to Russian firm Metrowagonmash to be held back until the revamped trains on metro line 3 operate “normally and completely properly”.

The party’s Budapest representative told a press conference on Wednesday that they were calling on Mayor István Tarlós to instruct the Budapest transport company BKV to hold back the payment of 70 billion forints (EUR 226m). Referring to the “Russian metro scam”, Erzsébet Gy Németh said the revamped trains “couldn’t handle a single day”.

The city council has paid 69 billion forints for the revamp, including 60 billion forints from a loan, the burdens of which Budapest taxpayers will be bearing for decades, she said. DK voted against loan at the general assembly meeting, unlike the opposition Socialists, she added.

According to news portal Index, which carried out a survey, users of the trains spotted bad workmanship and problems with ventilation among other gripes. News portal 24.hu reported travellers had posted videos of being told to get off one train due to a software malfunction related to the operation of the doors. HVG.hu speculated there had been political pressure to deploy the trains before being fully tested.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI