Illegally parked or out of service vehicles which are causing obstruction to public transport are towed away from the public areas of Budapest from the 1st of December. The multilateral agreement concerning the issue has been signed by the Budapest Public Area Inspectorate, the Budapest Public Area Maintenance company, the Centre for Budapest Transport and the Budapest Directorate General for Disaster Management.
Before taking office two years ago, I announced a programme, which was based on security and order in the capital city, and numerous actions taken in the last two years served the same goal – said István Tarlós, Mayor of Budapest at the press conference preceding the signing event. The Mayor also added, in the past twenty years – owing to the liberal principles of “everybody is free to do what he wants” – the city got to the edge of downfall. Disorder became the standard at public areas and public roads, roads were impassable, luxury jeeps were parked at pedestrian crossings, citizens were frightened away by the homeless from subways and public squares.
István Tarlós also mentioned that they announced the programme of order two years ago with the aim of achieving order not only by legal regulations and sanctions but also by the change of attitude. He announced that vehicles causing obstruction to traffic will be towed away in the future. For this purpose, a special vehicle has been put at the city’s disposal by the public area maintenance company. This vehicle has been tested by the disaster management unit for the use of the distinctive signal (blue lamp), and it will be operated also by them. A public area maintenance officer will always be present on the spot at the removal of vehicles to take measures in case of contravention.
Besides paying the fine on the contravention, the owner of the vehicle must be prepared to pay the cost of towing, which comes to 20.000 HUF occasionally. The guarding and storage of vehicles, connected to these charges, come to 1,200 HUF daily. (Vehicles parking in the wrong place are taken to the car park of BKK-Közút Zrt. located in the 18th District of Budapest at Gerely utca 1/A. For further information on this issue please contact the customer service on +36 301 7500, and visit
the website of Budapest Public Area Inspectorate.) The on-the-spot fine may range between 5.000 and 50.000 HUF, however if it comes to a procedure, it may reach even 150.000 HUF.
