BKV security guards are getting fired

The escalators are no longer working on the line of tram line 1 from 1 January 2016 as BKV (Centre for Budapest Transport) is unable to pay for the security guards. BKV’s financial problems can drastically reduce the number of metro security guards as well, reports index.hu.

BKV is having a financial crisis because the government refuses to provide the company the amount of money that would be necessary to cover its expenses. The escalators had to be shut down because the long-distance controlling system that the metro escalators will use in the future is not ready yet, but BKV can no longer pay for the security guards who were used instead.

Not only were the escalators shut down, but many metro security guards are going to be fired as well. Guards will no longer check the tickets of every passenger that uses the metro, and while this may be convenient for some, it can also increase the number of people who refuse to buy tickets.

The Parliament recently enacted an amendment which assured that Budapest will get more money from the districts’ industry taxes, which should cover the expenses of BKV. According to István Tarlós, mayor of Budapest, the city received 3 billion HUF, but at the same time, 6 billion HUF was taken away. With this step, the government killed the mass transportation of the agglomeration.