Parking fees collected on the streets of Erzsébetváros have become part of a much broader debate in Budapest. Gergely Karácsony wants a unified system for the capital and would use the parking revenue to launch a road renovation program that would also cover district roads.
However, there is no final agreement with the districts on the plans yet. Péter Niedermüller, Mayor of Erzsébetváros, together with seven other district leaders, called for an extraordinary general assembly of the Association of Budapest Local Governments (BÖSZ), Portfolio reported, citing MTI.
## The mayors want their own table
The signatories of the letter addressed to Gergely Karácsony want to discuss the future of BÖSZ and the agreement between the City of Budapest and the government. Besides Péter Niedermüller, the initiative was signed by the mayors Krisztina Baranyi (Ferencváros), Imre László (Újbuda), András Pikó (Józsefváros), András Rózsa (Zugló), Tamás Soproni (Terézváros), Sándor Szaniszló (Pestszentlőrinc-Pestszentimre) and József Tóth (District XIII).
On Friday, Karácsony responded to the debate on social media. He offered cooperation to the districts and wrote that the current funding rules were designed by Antal Rogán according to Fidesz's political and economic interests. This is the Mayor of Budapest's political position.
According to Karácsony, the agreement between the capital and the government provides Budapest with 120 billion forints in funding. He listed the reduction of the solidarity contribution, the regional reorganization of public transportation, and the agreement on the utilization of ports among the conditions for more predictable operations.
## Parking fees could renew district roads too
From Erzsébetváros’s perspective, the use of parking revenue is one of the most direct aspects of the debate. Based on a resolution by the Budapest Public Development Council, these funds would be used to launch a broadly defined road renovation program that would cover both downtown and outer-district roads.
Karácsony argued that drivers have a right to expect well-maintained roads in exchange for the parking fees they pay. Under his plan, the funds would also be used for renovations in neighborhoods where parking revenue is lower. According to the mayor, this would also reduce the districts’ expenses.
However, there is clearly no consensus on the unified system. Karácsony wrote that he sees no convincing argument against it and is awaiting an explanation as to why parking is operating at a loss in some areas and why profits are declining in others, even as revenues are increasing and costs are being reduced by the removal of parking meters.
## Six months left for the details
According to the Mayor of Budapest, there are six months to work out the new parking system. This work would be done together with the districts.
The debate is broader than this: Karácsony listed Diákváros, Rákosrendező, the Grand Boulevard and the embankments, the interconnected tram networks of Pest and Buda, the HÉV lines, Városháza Park, greening, and the reorganization of public transport and the use of the river ports among Budapest's issues for the coming period.
Source: Portfolio
