Speed limit will be drastically reduced in Budapest downtown
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It seems that the mayor of a Budapest downtown district decided to reduce the speed limit drastically. Tamás Soproni, the mayor of Terézváros (6th district), wrote on Facebook that he would like to follow the example of Graz, Austria. The Austrian city introduced a 30 km/h speed limit on the side streets and set the limit to 50 km/h on the main roads decades ago. Residents first protested against the changes but realized the benefits soon and became huge supporters of the new system. Read the details below!
Is it against or for the drivers?
The ruling party Fidesz has been communicating for a long time that Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony conducts a “jihad” against car users in the capital. Orbán’s party now seem to get additional ammunition for their anti-Karácsony campaign. The opposition leader of the capital, elected in 2019, suggested first in April 2020 that Budapest should reconsider and reduce speed limits to make the city liveable and safer.
Karácsony said that the speed limit reduction would not be an across-the-board cut. Instead, they would discuss and negotiate the proposals with the district mayors, NGOs, and residents, hvg.hu reported then. He cleared that the aim was to build a safer, healthier, cleaner Budapest, where the number of traffic accidents could be reduced to zero.
Graz is the example
Model programs started in the 6th and 7th districts in 2020. For example, some parts were closed for traffic on weekends and public holidays.
Great swathes of London have (and have had for a long time) a 20 miles per hour (mph) speed limit (32kmh) within the Congestion Zone (the central area – a joy yet to come to Budapest, costing 15 GBP, 7000 huf an a day for cars to enter and covering 21 square km). This 20 mph is also extensively used in residential streets outside of the Congestion Zone. So why are Hungarians complaining, other than that they are always complaining about everything? Moan, moan, moan. I have never known anything like it!