Twenty-two per cent of buses are unfit for the safe transportation of passengers, and inspectors found other technical problems in 56 per cent of the fleet, according to the results of the government office’s investigation, as quoted by Alexandra Szentkirályi, leader of the Fidesz faction in the Budapest City Council. She went on to say that ‘this would have been unthinkable during István Tarlós’s term as Mayor,’ referring to the independent former Mayor of Budapest backed by Fidesz who served from 2010 to 2019.

The condition of Budapest’s public buses drew national attention earlier this month when, during a heatwave, three buses burst into flames in quick succession.

Szentkirályi then directly addressed incumbent Mayor Gergely Karácsony, a liberal who won re-election by an extremely narrow margin after multiple recounts last year.

‘It is unacceptable that nearly four-fifths of the Budapest public transportation company’s buses pose a danger to passenger safety due to neglected maintenance! Meanwhile, the city, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, spends its last funds on purchasing a landfill site. The negligence of the city administration must not be allowed to endanger the physical safety of Budapest residents,’ she told the leader of the municipality of Hungary’s capital city in her public message.

State Commissioner for Budapest Botond Sára has pointed out in a social media post of his own that Budapest is the only city in Hungary that receives funds from the national government for its public transportation.

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