Budapest may lose the government’s 6 billion subsidy
It is not paid by the government chain Bridge 6 billion forints promised to support its investment – at least that is what can be concluded in the Ministry of Territorial Development ATV News from the answer sent. According to the ministry, by not allowing passenger vehicles to use the bridge, the capital is not complying with the provisions of the government decision.
The Hungarian government has agreed with the leadership of the Capital Municipality that it will support the full reconstruction of the Chain Bridge with HUF 6 billion, if motorists are allowed back on the bridge after one and a half years from the start of the investment.
For now, however, only BKK flights, taxis, bicycles and motorbikes is allowed onto the bridge – by the way, the Hungarian Automobile Club got out -, the final traffic order will be decided in the summer of 2023. Pedestrians and motorists cannot use it for at least half a year.
According to Mayor Gergely Karácsony’s chief of staff, Samu Balogh, the condition was fulfilled. “The next point said, according to the decision of the Council of Public Developments, that the final traffic status must be decided by the end of the bridge’s renovation. This is exactly how we proceed, only this decision will not be made in a smoky room, but the people of Budapest have the opportunity to decide during the summer what kind of traffic order should be on the Lánchíd permanently,” Samu Balogh told ATV News.
What does the government say?
They also contacted the Ministry of Territorial Development to see if they would grant Budapest the HUF 6 billion subsidy. “The Hungarian Government has agreed with the leadership of the Capital City Municipality that it will support the full reconstruction of the Chain Bridge with HUF 6 billion. The government decision on this includes specific conditions in exchange for support,” the ministry writes. They add that
one such condition was that “the total or partial restriction of vehicular traffic on this stretch of road shall not exceed the end of 18 months”.
According to the ministry, by the fact that the Metropolitan Municipality intends to open the Chain Bridge under such conditions that neither pedestrian traffic nor vehicle traffic can be used, it “does not fulfill the provisions of the government decision”. The Ministry of Regional Development suspiciously concludes its reply to ATV by saying that “so far the government has complied with all the agreements it made with the Capital”, and that it will do the same with regard to the renovation of the Chain Bridge.