Budapest City Council is considering charging motorists for using bridges across the Danube because it would be far cheaper to implement than a full-scale congestion charge, an official at the Mayor’s Office said on Monday.
The news follows recent reports that the council would press ahead with long-mooted plans to introduce such a charge for motorists entering the city. However, no concrete plans have yet been drawn up, Mayor István Tarlós said on breakfast television on Tuesday.
The mayor spoke of “scaremongering” in an apparent bid to quell the fears of the motoring lobby, while opposition parties have jumped on the issue. Socialist Party councillor Csaba Horváth dismissed the bridge toll plan as a moneymaking scheme that would cause tailbacks even when traffic is light. Estimates are that over 200,000 cars enter Budapest daily.
