The future of Hungarian transport: Same ticket for trains, buses and the underground?

Magyar Idők recently conducted an interview with Hungarian Minister for Innovation and Technology, László Mosóczi, in which the minister reported on the government’s plans regarding the transportation system of Hungary. Here is a summary of what was said.

László Mosóczi said that that Hungarian government is presently preparing the union of the road and rail transport systems, which he regards to be his most important task at the moment as head of the transport authorities.

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The government is currently working on creating a national collective tariff for transportation, which would mean that one would be able to travel from one point of the country to another with a single ticket, regardless of how many types of transport one uses.

Supposedly by 2023, Hungarians will be able to use the same ticket for local and regional transport, for trains, buses and coaches.

The union would not only mean integrated tickets but integrated schedules and integrated information service for travellers; these are the three keystones of the new concept.

The whole idea is that people would be able to use the same ticket for local and regional, inner and outer city transport.  The minister also said that in order to achieve this goal, at first, it would not be necessary to combine all the companies into one collective group of companies.

The government plans to eliminate all parallel bus and train routes, and organise safe bus and train connections instead.

Mosóczi also said that by 2022, there would be many train tracks in the country where trains will be able to travel with 160 km/h. Supposedly, the railway tracks will also reach every big city and border crossing point in the country.

The minister also said that the government has HUF 1500 billion to spend on developing the country’s track infrastructure, and HUF 2550 billion on developing motorways and main roads.

The plan is that by 2030, car drivers, from any point of the country, should be able to reach some part of the motorway network within half an hour.

The minister also said that they are working on developing the highways as well, and if everything goes according to plan, within the next four years, the Hungarian highways will be double in length.

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Featured image: Facebook.com/modulobus

Source: www.magyaridok.hu