Budapest transport company receives bomb threat as strike enters third day

The Budapest Transport Company BKV had 41 bus services in operation on Thursday morning, the third consecutive day of an open-ended strike, the company told MTI.

During the same period on Wednesday, only 36 buses were in operation, the company said.

Trams are in operation on four major lines, unchanged from Wednesday.

All other services are running less frequently than usual.

BKV received a bomb scare during the night, stating that one of several metro stations in Budapest would be hit by an explosion between 6:30am and 8:30am. A bomb squad combed the affected stations and nearby tunnels but no explosives were found, Budapest police said.

Union representatives are set to continue negotiations with management on Thursday. Talks with the management have been at a standstill since late on Monday as neither side appeared to move closer. Unions demand a renewal of collective work agreements which expired at the end of last year, and are angry over planned cuts in benefits like health and pension contributions, and the scrapping of an end-year bonus.

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