Public transport strike continues in Budapest

Bus services were halted by strike with the exception of 40 routes in Budapest on Wednesday morning, on the second day of an open-ended strike started by the Budapest Transport Company (BKV) unions, the company told MTI.

The buses are operated by drivers on private contracts and some of them are providing a shorter service.

Buses number 11, 25, 57, 58, 85, 95, 103, 122, 161, 194, 200E, 240 and 272, as well as 8, 66A, 98, 114, 151A, 173, 180, 212, 256, 950A and 990A are running, though the latter on modified routes.

Major disruptions can be expected in tram services, of which only number 2 and 6 are running along the entire section. The services number 1, 47A and 52 are operating on shorter sections.

Metro services, trolleybuses and suburban railways HEV started on schedule in the morning.

Traffic jams cause serious delays on major routes and thoroughfares in the city and on the main access roads to the capital, Budapest traffic information service Fovinform told MTI.

Union representatives are set to sit down to negotiations with management at 10 am on Wednesday. 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.

• Email
• Save to My Caboodle