New phase in Buda tram network development gets under way

The next phase of the Budapest tram network on the Buda side of the city is under way, the state secretary responsible for developments in the capital and its agglomeration said on Saturday.

Balázs Fürjes said the first phase of the project unveiled in early 2016 had been the most successful transport development in the city in the past decade, and now work has begun to expand the network to the south of St. Gellért Square on the Buda banks of the Danube.

The new line will benefit students reaching various university campuses running along the river as well as Infopark, a business campus, and the Kopaszi leisure area with its new office and residential developments, he added.

Fürjes insisted that public transport in and around Budapest was a government priority and the ultimate aim was to create a livable capital with clean air and fewer traffic jams.

Meanwhile, he said that after having received 85 billion forints last year, local councils of the capital would receive 116 billion forints to cover the city’s operating expenses this year.