Mayor welcomes government decision to buy 51 new trams for Budapest
The government has decided to buy 51 new trams for Budapest's public transport system using 54 billion forints (EUR 142m) in European Union funding, Mayor Gergely Karacsony said on Facebook on Friday.
Karacsony noted, however, that while the government and the city had agreed on the purchase in May 2019, the government decision to ensure the finances “came at the last moment” before the offer expired. He said it would have been a “criminal offence” to let the opportunity pass, adding that the low-floor trams equipped with air conditioning would be a “great step forward” in public transport.
Karacsony thanked the EU for its support and the government for being a partner. “At last we have something that makes all of us happy. It would be good to make that the norm rather than an exception.”
The new trams will arrive in Budapest next year.
