"We strongly recommend covering the nose and mouth during travel," Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony said about using the capital's public transportation.Continue reading
Budapest’s municipal assembly on Wednesday approved the purchase of 48 new low-floor trolley buses by the end of 2023.
Under the proposal, Budapest transport authority BKK will buy 36 articulated and 12 solo trolley buses from the Solaris-Skoda consortium. City councillors approved the 9.6 billion forint (EUR 26.7m) total value order unanimously.
The Budapest municipal council will set aside 210 million forints for the purchase in 2022 and 9.4 billion in 2023. Delivery of the new buses is expected to begin in late 2022.
City councillors also approved an amendment proposal that calls on Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony to start consultations with the government and the European Investment Bank (EIB) on financing the trolley bus order from a new credit agreement to be signed with the bank.
The assembly also voted unanimously to approve its programme on the use of European Union funds in the 2021-2027 funding cycle. Under the proposal, Budapest will be eligible for 84 billion forints (EUR 231 million) in EU support. The proposal will now be sent to the municipal public development council before being submitted to the government for approval.
Featured photo illustration by Zoltán Máthé/MTI