Plans to Ban Tourist Buses in Budapest’s Buda Castle District

Hey there, have you heard about the recent plans to ban tourist buses from entering the Buda Castle District in Budapest? It’s been a hot topic lately, and for good reason.

The outgoing opposition mayor, Márta V. Naszályi, had made it one of her top priorities to address the issue of tourist buses in the Castle District. And now, the incoming Fidesz mayor, László Böröcz, is pushing for a complete ban on these buses.

Just last week, on September 11th, a large tourist bus crashed into a 16A BKK bus near the Vienna Gate. This incident has only strengthened the resolve to take action.

Böröcz stated, “There’s no place for tourist buses in the Castle District!” He and his team are working tirelessly to permanently remove the presence of tourist buses in the area, aiming to make the Castle District safer and more livable for both locals and visitors alike.

It’s no secret that the Castle District has been plagued by these massive tourist buses for decades. Everyone knows something needs to be done, but somehow, no concrete actions have been taken.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the Budavár Municipality reported that nearly 35,000 tourists visited the Castle District daily, with 15,000 of them arriving on organized tourist buses. That’s around 300-350 buses in a single day!

While some argue that many of these tourists, especially the elderly arriving on hotel ships, wouldn’t be able to walk up to the Castle, others point out that these groups don’t really contribute much to the city’s economy. They don’t book accommodations or dine in local restaurants, and they spend an average of only 47 minutes in the Castle without spending much money.

Fidesz representative Dániel Varga, chairman of the Urban Development Committee, believes that the existing lifts can handle the tourist traffic. In addition to the two 30-person lifts, there are four more lifts in the Széchényi Library, each accommodating 10 people.

Now, with the new mayor’s strong stance on banning tourist buses, it seems like change might finally be on the horizon for the Buda Castle District. It’s a complex issue, but one that desperately needs to be addressed for the well-being of both residents and visitors.