The Metropolitan Assembly will hold its first meeting after the elections on Wednesday. At the event, the budget planned for only half a year will probably be discussed, and it will also be revealed whether taxi fares will really be increased by 35 percent from next month.

Although the city administration would have met in March according to the original plans, in their statement at the time they said: "Since the capital's administration - similar to the practice in 2018 - does not want to provide the ground for the Capital Assembly to become a campaign event, therefore the 30 March 2022 it is expected that the board will discuss the proposals for the meeting scheduled for April 13 at the general assembly."

At Wednesday's general assembly, it will probably be revealed, among other things, whether taxis will be more expensive in the capital from May. - In Budapest, the basic fee for taxi passenger transport will rise to HUF 1,000, the kilometer fee to HUF 400, and the per-minute fee to HUF 100 from May 9, if the proposal to this effect is accepted by the Capital Assembly next Wednesday - announced the General Deputy Mayor at his press conference last Friday. Ambrus Kiss stated that this measure will mean a 35 percent price increase for passengers.

The deputy mayor justified the price increase by saying that the official prices of taxis were last changed on July 1, 2018. "Economic rules also apply to this sector: if fuel is more expensive and core inflation figures outside of that also rise, then we have to react to that," he added.

The taxi organizations initiated the start of price negotiations in November 2021, but at that time the Budapest municipality still saw that they had no authority in the matter, and pointed the finger at the government.
However, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology indicated in February this year that the moratorium does not apply to road passenger transport tariffs, so they have the opportunity to raise prices. While in March 2020 - before the outbreak of the pandemic - the number of taxi drivers in the capital was 6,754, according to the latest data, there are only 5,070 of them left.

Presumably, the much-criticized 2022 budget will also be discussed at Wednesday's general assembly. Apropos of this, they propose, among other things, the adoption of this year's business plan of BKV Zrt. and the 2022 business plan of BKK Budapesti Közlekedesi Központ Zrt. The general meeting can decide whether to rename the area bounded by Villányi út, Tas vezér utca, Edömér utca, Kosztolányi Dezső tér, Frankfurt sétány and atya Placid park to Törőcsik Mari park, and they will also discuss personnel decisions, among other things, they will make a proposal to Trafó for the election of the executive director of the House of Contemporary Arts.

The full article of Magyar Nemzet can be read here.

Author: Éva Harangozó

Photo: Zoltán Máthé