Referendum question on the accessibility of metro 3 ‘imprecise, pointless’?

The referendum question submitted by the opposition in connection with ensuring accessibility of metro line 3 is “imprecise and pointless”, Budapest Mayor István Tarlós said on Thursday.

Earlier this month, the Budapest Election Committee approved a referendum question submitted by Socialist city councillor Csaba Horváth on ensuring wheelchair accessibility of stations on Budapest’s third metro line during its upgrade phase.

The referendum question refers to a law enacted in 1997 which was also in force in 2007, when the upgrade of the second metro line was completed, Tarlós told public news channel M1. This referendum was initiated by a politician who was part of the municipal council leadership at that time when only a single elevator was built on the second metro line and only a single station was made fully accessible, Tarlós said, referring to Horváth and the previous city leadership.

Metro line 3 “is in terrible condition” and for decades nobody did anything about it, the mayor said.

Even the city council could not do anything about it until 2015 when the government took over the debt that had been accumulated by Budapest transport company BKV up until 2010, he added.

This issue is not about a lack of intent from the city council’s part, Tarlós insisted, adding that the Budapest leadership had “fought for a long time” for the metro upgrade and the project costs a lot of money.