Government to guarantee free tavel for over 65ers?

Budapest, January 22 (MTI) – The government will continue to guarantee free travel for people aged over 65, the government information centre said on Friday in response to remarks by the Budapest mayor.

Istvan Tarlós told a press conference that the city council might be forced to propose to the government discontinuing free travel for that age group. Tarlós said it was an issue that needed to be reconsidered.

Offering travel allowances would be OK, but free travel should be reconsidered because “it is not possible to finance transport from an empty till,” he added.

The government information centre said that free travel for people aged over 65 is regulated by law and the government has no plans to initiate amending this regulation.

The opposition Socialists said it would be unacceptable if free travel for people over 65 was stopped. Csaba Horváth, a party representative in the city council, told a press conference that old people “get their pass instead of getting a decent pension” so they should be charged for travel only if the state gave them a “decent” pension first.

Jobbik said it appears Tarlós will be forced to manage the introduction of austerity measures and assist in the transformation of the system of public transport allowances, including making people over 65 pay for travel services.

The opposition Democratic Coalition said it opposed depriving people aged over 65 from free travel. Budapest councillor Erzsebet Gy Nemeth said the government should help families at least by not withdrawing their acquired rights. She added that Prime Minister Viktor Orban is probably planning a package of austerity measures and making Tarlos announce the planned introduction of “another new tax”.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters