Transit strike hits Budapest

All daytime buses directly operated by the Budapest Transport Company BKV will be out of service during a Budapest transport strike to start on Tuesday but metro services will be uninterrupted, the head of the committee negotiating on minimal services said on Monday.

Tram and trolleybus services will be uncertain during the open-ended strike that officially starts at midnight on Monday, said Pal Bartha.

As night services will run on schedule, passengers will only be affected by the strike after 4:30am, said Bartha. Additionally, bus services on 26 lines operated by subcontractors will run as usual, he added.

The Budapest Mayor's office told MTI on Monday that parking in Budapest will not be free during the BKV strike and cars will not be allowed to use traffic lanes reserved for buses. Traffic jams and other disruptions should be expected in Budapest traffic, but hospitals have made special staffing arrangements to make sure that emergency services are not hindered.

The Ministry of Education and Culture said that schools will work as usual, unless the headmaster decides to close because of the high number of absentees.

The railway employees trade union VDSZSZ has declared its solidarity with the BKV and said the starting time of a railway strike would be announced at a later time. The strike would focus on railway services around Budapest but the entire country will be affected, said VDSZSZ leader Istvan Gasko.

Nationwide long-distance bus company Volan said BKV tickets and passes would be accepted on Volan services during the strike.

Budapest taxis expect demand for their services to double during the strike.

The unions have earlier announced to start an open-ended strike as of Tuesday if their demands are not met. No agreement has been reached at talks between the BKV management and trade unions as of Monday evening.

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, head of the strike committee Gyorgy Foldenyi said.

BKV managing director Istvan Kocsis said that management had made every effort to meet the unions' demand.

Long-distance buses pick up slack

Some 200 buses will be in operation despite the open-ended strike started by the Budapest Transport Company on Tuesday morning, the company told MTI.

Around 160 of 240 buses operated by national long-distance bus company Volan cover the Budapest transport network, these will stop in all BKV bus stops and they can be used with BKV passes.

During the BKV strike on Tuesday, 140 subcontractor buses, 39 Volan buses and 20 BKV buses will be in service.

Several bus services will run on modified routes. Metro services, trolleybuses and suburban railways HEV started on schedule on Tuesday, trams number 28, 6, 3, 2 and 1 are also in operation, but longer waiting times should be expected.

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