Index – National – Not all mayors support the toughening of Viktor Orbán

Following Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s announcement, the extraordinary legal order re-entered into force as of midnight on Tuesday, freeing parking for another 90 days, prescribing condensed flights on public transport and imposing a curfew. between midnight and five in the morning.

It is already certain that the local governments of the inner districts of Budapest do not expect anything good because of the free parking. We have now asked the mayors of rural cities in the county what challenges the new safeguards, including free parking, pose.

Szombathely, the loss

Free parking means less than roughly HUF 40 million a month for Szombathely, which is a particularly large cut because the local government already estimates a loss of two billion for this year and next.

He told the Index András Nemény mayor.

While the consolidation of the bus service in Szombathely is also the responsibility of Volán, which is under state jurisdiction (see our box), the MSZP politician seriously fears that they will also pay the price at the municipal level.

András Nemény is very critical of the government’s decision, saying that the central organization of local transport is “useless interference with the system”. Especially after the flight congestion in Szombathely has caused problems before.

In our case, for example, it was not at all an interruption that the flights had been crowded during the first wave. We suffered a loss precisely because the neighbors did not use public transport

– argues the mayor of Szombathely. According to him, instead of the compression required by the government, the schedule should be adapted to local specificities. Not to mention that according to András Nemény

The closure of nightclubs and compliance with the mask rules are monitored by the municipal authority department, and access restrictions are monitored by the police. The lack of police in the city of Western Transdanubia has not been a crisis so far. The shortage of doctors was further aggravated after the Szombathely doctors were transferred to Győr.

Miskolc in a difficult situation

The nearly three-month free parking period in the spring resulted in a loss of revenue of approximately HUF 200 million for the municipality of Miskolc. After revenue of 180 million HUF in November and December last year, they now expect almost the same less.

The early introduction of free parking in the spring often led to conflicts, mainly because those who had been redeemed in advance, even with an annual salary, could not stop at surface parking lots. The city administration is now trying to remedy this by expanding the free zone.

Mandatory traffic congestion also puts the city of Miskolc in a difficult position on public transport, as not long ago

– We learned from the local government of Miskolc, where the experts from MVK Zrt. They are working on the development of the flight compression system.

The municipality of Miskolc, in cooperation with the local police, has already carried out inspections in restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as shops. They promise similar rigor in the future.

Kaposvár beats evictors in action

Your record time is in the office Szár KárolyThe Fidesz mayor of Kaposvár caught up with the Index’s phone, who said that with three months of free parking in the spring, the city administration had lost 102 million guilders.

However, the president of the Association of Cities with County Rights sees that, like the first wave, introducing the second wave of free parking is not an undeniable challenge. In fact, people found it more difficult to find an empty parking spot in Kaposvár in the spring and still expect the aforementioned inconveniences.

Public transport is not an insoluble formula this time either, they have already congested flights in the morning and afternoon shifts in spring.

Regardless, they will work with law enforcement to comply with curfew restrictions and mask wearing rules. If there are too many evictors, the mayor will mobilize supervision of the public space or introduce a night shift.

I also say to all my fellow mayors, the opposition, that our main task now is to stop the coronavirus and prevent people from dying. You can cry, but only then if we have overcome the situation of the virus. When I’m done, let’s have a beer, pour the champagne, and then settle down. But in the meantime, let’s do all we can

– declares Károly Szita.

Győr is still trying to stay alive

In Győr, according to the recently issued government decree, ticket vending machines at surface paid parking were turned off at midnight on November 4. András Csaba Dézsi, the city is the mayor Fidesz of Idex.

When we contacted the municipality on Wednesday, Győr management still did not have detailed information on local flight congestion, for which Volán is also responsible. The control of the recently applied exit restrictions, as it is a police competence, is basically entrusted to the Győr police.

We are constantly monitoring epidemiological regulations and following the recommendations of the operational staff, taking our measures based on them, doing everything possible to ensure the viability of the city.

– added András Csaba Dézsi, with whom we conducted an important interview at the beginning of September.

Eger would squeeze even more

The Eger City Council recalled that they were the first in spring, already before the government’s decision, to make parking in the city free, which at that time cost them more than 60 million guilders.

Meanwhile, municipal institutions are also continuously disinfected when necessary, closed and only reopened with asymptomatic employees with a negative coronavirus test. At the moment, a local kindergarten and the Gárdonyi Géza Theater are also closed.

They are confident that its scope will soon broaden and that, as in the spring, mayors will be given a special mandate to further increase the security of the population in their own right.

He looks at the overview of Kecskemét

“We are not particularly concerned with lost parking revenue, especially in an emergency of this type. In such cases, looking at the big picture, the main question is what it will cost society as a whole.

– Kecskemét’s management responded to the Index.

They add that they always plan the city budget with an important reserve, this year, for example, 3 billion, so they are not particularly supported by the extra municipal spending due to the epidemic situation.

Klaudia Szakereyné Pataki The mayor, who was quarantined in October by a relative of the coronavirus, is now working to increase the number of local flights by one hour compared to the government decree, according to a peak schedule that begins at 6 a.m. The Kecskemét Transport Center is already working on the plan.

The rules for the use of masks will be monitored in Kecskemét, as elsewhere, and by the police, and in entertainment and catering establishments by the mayor’s office as a commercial authority. They betrayed him, this time they don’t expect bad experiences either, because on spring weekends, when the mayors were authorized to do so, they crowded Kecskemét even more than at the national one.

In fact, there was no problem. It is a disciplined city, here 98 percent of the people follow the rules

The local government of Kecskemét said.

Székesfehérvár agrees, criticizes and fines

I agree with the increase in flights in the current epidemic situation. The service provider has started negotiations with a government office and the local government will participate in this. There are questions, of course: are there enough drivers and vehicles, and who will bear the cost of this correct measure?

Answered András Cser-Palkovics to the index. The Fidesz mayor of Székesfehérvár also approves the introduction of free parking because, as he says, this also eases the burden on public transport and reduces congestion.

However, it is also a fact that this measure causes a loss of revenue of between HUF 20 and 30 million per month for the local government.

– emphasizes András Cser-Palkovics.

The politician considers that the extraordinary legal order gives the mayors a great margin of maneuver, a fast and flexible decision-making. It has been used so far, for example, the Székesfehérvár police, the clerk and the staff of the mayor’s office have carried out at least 100 investigations in recent period.

(Cover image: Residents watch the Caravan of Artists performance from their window in a housing estate in Székesfehérvár on May 7, 2020. Members of art institutions taking a forced break due to the coronavirus epidemic in the city perform in public spaces as part of the Caravana de Artistas program.

MTI / Tamás Vasvári)