The mayor of Budapest may have violated valid laws when he ordered the designation of new bicycle lanes. With the new road markings, the outer lanes of some roads have become too narrow for motorists, thus endangering traffic safety. According to a position sent to V4NA by the EP President s Office, the rule of law means that all members of a society are equally subject to the law.

The Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK), which is under the control of the Mayor s Office, started to designate new bicycle lanes at a rapid pace in April, during the coronavirus emergency. In some cases, the mayor s decree resulted in outer lanes which, at 1.8 metres, were narrower than the minimum width required by law (2.75 metres), the Hungarian daily Ripost has noticed. In the BAH junction, one of Budapest s busiest traffic hubs, buses and trucks do not physically fit in the lane, so they endanger the safety of other vehicles, their drivers and passengers.

The design and construction of road markings in Hungary are regulated by Decree 11 of 2001 (III. 13.) of the KoViM (Ministry of Transport and Water Management). The Technical Regulations for the Design and Construction of Road Markings, an annex to the decree, stipulates: „the minimum permissible width of traffic lanes marked with a road surface sign is at least 2.75 metres in built-up areas and at least 3 metres outside built-up areas.” This implies that Gergely Karacsony, flouting regulations, took nearly a metre from the lane for motorists. All this suggests that the left-wing politician has not only endangered road users but has also violated the rule of law. 

„The rule of law means that all members of a society – governments and politicians included – are equally subject to the law, under the control of independent courts irrespective of political majority,” the answer from the Office of the President of the European Parliament said in response to an inquiry from V4NA.

One of the best-known symbols of the Hungarian capital is the scenic view of the embankments of the Danube, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Budapest s landmark Chain Bridge is part of this heritage. After taking office, Budapest s mayor postponed the renovation tender for the bridge, in an ever-deteriorating condition, for months. When the call for tenders was eventually announced in July, the independent Hungarian Public Procurement Authority (KH) identified a number of content errors in the document, regarding reference requirements for tenderers for instance. „It is the responsibility of the contracting entity to compile the call for tenders in such a way that it meets legal requirements,” the Hungarian news portal Origo.hu writes, quoting KH s request for amendments.

Due to the errors in the call for tenders, revamping Chain Bridge is further delayed although an engineering inspection report in June warned that the structural elements of the bridge are „constantly deteriorating” and it is almost impossible to deal with the „serious problems” encountered during the on-location inspection.