Budapest Transport Authority, BKK, has recently received the Global Light Rail Award 2013 awarded by Tramway & Urban Transit magazine for its contribution to reforming the transport system in Hungary’s capital city.
BKK’s concerns on developing an integrated transport have recently been detailed in Oradea by László Sándor Kerényi, Head of Transport Strategy of BKK, during the Forum for Sustainable Mobility and Metropolitan Development.
The establishment of an authority that would manage public transport in the city of Budapest represents the premise of transforming public transport in Hungary’s capital. Taking the example of London and Transport for London, BKK – Budapesti Közlekedési Központ, the transport authority in Budapest, was established in 2010.
The Hungarian Capital together with Pest district (megye) has around 2.5 million citizens and a surface of over 3,000 square km. Organising mobility in this large surface has to take into account the geography of the area, segmented between the hills of Buda, the Danube and Pest plane. The mobility mode of the citizens from the metropolitan area of Budapest is 60% in favour of public transport. At the same time, around 1 million individual car journeys are registered every day, 400,000 of which in the extra-urban area.
Regarding railway transport, Budapest has a tramway network of 32 lines, served by 464 tramways, of which 36 new Siemens Combino tramways. The metropolitan area uses the suburban railway lines recording 43.4 million passengers a year, slightly less than suburban buses, with 50.4 million passengers per year.
Budapest, which in turn operates under a 15-year contract of public service delegation from Budapest Municipality, has concluded 8-year public service contracts with BKV, Budapest transport operator, and with the private operators of suburban bus lines.
Budapest Municipality subsidy covers over 50% of transport costs, while the sold tickets cover 32% of costs.
The development of Budapest metro network, through the construction of a new line, Line 4, is one of BKK’s main objectives, with a total budget of EUR 1.3 Billion, of which only 20% from funds of Budapest Municipality and the rest of funds from the state budget and European funds. Line 4 is 80% completed and will be inaugurated in 2014 using a fully automated metro system supplied by Alstom.
Extensions of the tram lines are also in construction, with a budget of EUR 132 Million, similarly financed in a very high percentage (93.32%) from the state budget and with European funds. A project on the interconnection of the tram network is in the design phase to provide a connection between the north and the south of Buda by rearranging the stations or building new lines. 83.4% of the EUR 48 Million total cost are also provided from the state budget and European funds.
The same type of funds is also used to buy new tramways and trolleybuses, acquisitions for which EUR 140 Million are made available. A tender for the procurement of 37 low floor trams is ongoing. In August, BKK announced that the Spanish company CAF was preferred bidder.
Apart from these ongoing projects, BKK has in plan a programme of investments in the development of the railway network for 2014-2015 which also includes other extensions of tram and metro lines.
On short term, in the three years of existence, BKK has managed to contribute to an improved planning, based on the efficient communication of specialists, both in the transport sector and in land planning, by ensuring institutional transparency and assuming responsibility.
Share on:
