In recent years, the left-liberal Budapest municipality has mutilated or swept off the table several important investments for the people of Budapest. Here is the list!
Gergely Karácsony implemented even a fraction of the investments prepared by the previous city administration with only a reduced technical content.
chain Bridge
Along with the renovation of the Chain Bridge, the repair of the castle tunnel and the tram-underpass would have been carried out, but after a long period of uncertainty, Karácsony decided that the capital would only renovate the Chain Bridge, at a cost of five billion forints more expensive than the value of the previous investment, reports Magyar Nemzet . If Mayor Gergely Karácsony does not stop the Chain Bridge investment prepared by István Tarlós in February 2020, then both Széchenyi István tér in Pest and the tram underpass, as well as Clark Ádám tér and the castle tunnel, would be available to the citizens of Budapest, renovated.
Ádám Clark square
The left-wing mayor's campaign promise regarding Clark Ádám tér was also criticized by Dávid Vitézy, former secretary of state for transport. According to the transport expert, it is a poorly timed investment in prestige, and other hubs in the capital need to be renovated more.
Blaha Lujza Square
A case similar to the renovation of the Chain Bridge also occurred in the reconstruction of Blaha Lujza tér. The busy public square would have been renovated at a cost of four billion forints, and the renovation would have included the arrangement of Somogyi Béla utca, as well as the construction of a toilet, a pavilion, a bus stop and an elevator. In addition, one of the prominent elements of the renovation of the square was the transfer of the tram stop in Népszínház utca to Blaha Lujza square. However, Mayor Gergely Karácsony excluded the vast majority of the technical content of the renovation from the investment citing a lack of funds. After the renovation of Blaha Lujza tér, a now infamous public toilet was created in a corner of the public space, which has now become a daily refuge for prostitutes, the homeless and drug users.
Biodome, roller coaster
However, in some cases, the left-liberal city administration has already "gutted" ongoing investments, not afraid of leaving corpses in the capital. Socialist Deputy Mayor Erzsébet Gy. Németh personally announced that the zoo biodome being built as part of the Liget Budapest project will be completed for HUF ten billion less than the previously estimated amount. As it turned out, the cost reduction was achieved by highlighting some items, such as the renovation of the roller coaster.
Örs véger's square
However, the leadership of Karácsony swept the mere suggestion of development off the table in some areas. This is also how the renovation planned for Örs vezér square went, which only reached visual plans, the investment was scrapped after 2021. The CEO of the Budapest Development Center (BFK) already signed the contract in 2021, according to which the H9 HÉV line would have been connected to the M2 metro, thus connecting the city center with the agglomeration. The modern line from the city center runs from the X., XIV. and XVI. district, or in the direction of Csömör, Gödöllő, Kistarcsa, Kerepes, Mogyoród. The left-wing mayor also took a serious role in torpedoing Budapest's priority investments.
Határ út underpass
The investment in the Határ út underpass was started in 2019. According to the first plans, the construction deadline would have been the end of August 2023, but it was not completed. This was changed to October 31, 2023, but was not completed by then. According to the current plans, the renovation will be completed by April 30, 2024, however, the contractor is still in a huge slump.
Népligeti overpass
A few months ago, the Office of the Mayor decided that the overpass in Népliget does not need to be demolished, which means that the roughly 15,000 motorists who drive there can still drive on only one lane. According to the original plans, the restriction on the side leading to the city center would have been in effect from March to July of last year, but even today traffic on that side requires great caution, as a section of the bridge is still closed. And you don't know how long it will last...
Featured image: MTI/Zoltán Balogh
