Hungarian License Plates Being Stolen after Restrictions due to Capped Fuel Prices

Hungary Today 2022.05.31.

As of last Friday, only cars with Hungarian license plates or registration permits are allowed to fill up at Hungarian gas stations at the capped price of 480 forints (EUR 1.22) per liter. As a result, license plate theft has apparently become an issue. A MOL Group leader recently reported that some 30 plates have been recently stolen in and around Mosonmagyaróvár.

Due to the capped petrol prices, petrol tourism has been booming in Hungary in the past months. Last Thursday, the government announced to end this by only allowing cars with Hungarian license plates or Hungarian registration permits to fill up at the reduced price.

Fact

As a matter of fact, the government decree does contain an exception for foreign drivers on the base of reciprocity. It allows those vehicles to be filled up that have a foreign registration plate but are registered in a country where fuel is similarly capped, but allows Hungarian drivers to take advantage of the discounted price.

In the latest news, MOL’s chief operating officer revealed that some thirty Hungarian license plates have already been stolen in and around Mosonmagyaróvár (close to the Austrian and Slovakian border), and they have already been made available on Slovakian sites to purchase. Péter Ratatics also disclosed that they had already run into fake registration plates at the petrol stations as well.

In connection with the report, RTL Híradó reached out to the police, but has not yet received a reply yet.

featured image illustration via Péter Komka/MTI