Budapest assembly rejects government office’s call to abolish freight traffic fee

According to the resolution, the Budapest government office turned to the city council last November after reviewing a 2011 decree on Budapest’s freight traffic. It found the clauses on the freight traffic fee, the reimbursement for the road use contribution, and registration costs to be unlawful.

The proposal put forward by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony was approved with 17 votes in favour, 9 against and one abstention.

Before the vote, a Democratic Coalition (DK) representative vowed to prevent Budapest from turning into a highway for lorries and vote against the central government proposal to withdraw the decree. Sandor Szaniszlo told a press conference that the central government’s demand would result in the roads of Budapest being inundated with lorries.