Attila Kováts, head of the MFSz, said there are some 30,900 passenger lifts in use in Hungary, around 40% of which need repairs at the moment.

Kováts noted that some lifts in use today were installed before World War II, but even at bigger residential complexes there are many lifts that are now 40-50 years old.

Replacing a lift could easily cost HUF 15 million, meaning that replacing 20% of lifts used throughout the country could cost as much as HUF 90 billion, he said, adding that the MFSz has asked the government to consider providing financial support for replacement and repair work.

The modernization process might be accelerated by the relevant SNEL (Safety Norm for Existing Lifts) regulation of the EU, which determines that lifts older than 20 years must be renovated.

According to Kováts, implementing the regulation might be helpful in asking the EU to provide resources for modernization. On the other hand, SNEL specifies that all problematic lifts must be taken care of in ten years, which might pose a challenge, he added.
 

MTI Photo: Balogh Zoltán