A contract is expected to be signed unless an appeal is launched. The winning bidder must start preparations quickly. A municipal decree is therefore needed to ensure financing for the project. Without the decree further delays are inevitable, the deputy mayors said. Budapest Mayor István Tarlós earlier this year asked the government to cover the extra cost of contracting bus services instead of buying buses.

Whereas the government initially said Budapest should buy Hungarianmade buses for the replacement route, as this would dovetail with its strategy to create a national bus industry, it has since agreed to cover the costs of leasing the 150 buses in question.

At a press briefing on Thursday, government office chief János Lázár said the revamp of the third metro line would definitely not start this year because a public procurement tender that needs to be invited by the metropolitan council has not even been published.

Even if it is published now, work cannot start before next spring, he added. Commenting on the possibility of introducing a congestion charge for Budapest, he said the government maintained that this would be undesirable.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.