Passengers on Hungarian trains get new options, "insults"

Hungarian state railway operator MÁV is stepping up its battle against those who travel without tickets by introducing 30-day passes and a controversial "visual campaign," writes fn.hu.

megintallunkvazze.blog.hu

A sign on a gate at a Budapest railway station says: "Entrance for fare dodgers - CLOSED" State railway company MÁV has launched a campaign against non-paying passengers, but their slogans have offended some people.

A recent survey by market research firm GFK concluded that many people travel without tickets on MÁV's trains because the fares are considered high and the monthly passes inflexible. MÁV therefore decided to introduce 30-day passes on February 1, which can be bought in advance.

An apparently less wise step was to post signs in trains with lines that are intended to use humor to encourage people not to ride the rails without appropriate tickets or passes. Such slogans - including a sign saying "For paying passengers only" posted over some seats - has apparently caused offense among elderly passengers who can legally travel for free.

MÁV estimated that it loses Ft 6 billion (€24 million) a year due to non-payment by passengers not entitled to ride for free, and critics say this loss is unlikely to be reduced by the steps the company has taken, especially as MÁV is cutting the number employees charged with monitoring compliance. Instead of having two ticket-takers for each train, the company wants to introduce independent controllers who check the passengers and the other controllers at the same time, reports hirtv.hu.

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