The city’s taxi prices have not changed since March 2023. Taxi organisations said that rising inflation over the past three years made an update necessary.

The Metropolitan Assembly voted on Friday to amend the taxi fare rules, approving a proposal submitted by Mayor Gergely Karácsony. The measure passed by 19 votes in favour, with 10 abstentions.

From 1 August, the new official prices will be as follows, based on EUR/HUF 353: the base fare will rise to HUF 1,300 from HUF 1,100; the distance charge will increase to HUF 521 per kilometre from HUF 440; and the waiting-time charge will go up to HUF 130 per minute from HUF 110.

A new HUF 800 airport surcharge will also be introduced, and reports say an HUF 800 pre-booking fee will apply under the updated rules.

The approved increase is smaller than an earlier proposal that was discussed by the assembly. Taxi drivers’ organisations had previously pushed for a 20–25% fare rise and held a day-long demonstration in Budapest last autumn.

At the Metropolitan Assembly’s previous meeting, councillors considered a more substantial increase that would have lifted the base fare to HUF 1,400, the per-kilometre rate to HUF 560, and the per-minute charge to HUF 140.

According to HVG, that proposal did not receive enough support. Karácsony’s revised package, which was more moderate, was later approved.

The adopted proposal said the fare increase was justified by cumulative inflation since the last adjustment more than three years ago. The new tariffs will apply across Budapest from 1 August 2026.

Photo: BKK

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