Steven N.
Public transportation is apparently yet another topic that Hungarians think about on the basis of party preferences, according to a poll conducted by the Publicus Institute of 1,108 people contacted by telephone between December 6-10.
Commissioned for daily Népszava, the survey revealed that 82% of opposition voters would consider it acceptable to stop traffic in the capital for some time to protest government austerity measures, although 39% would support the measure only if it did not affect or impede traffic. However, this option was completely rejected by 98% of pro-government voters.
The standard model of public transportation in Western Europe, in which one-third of transportation costs are paid by the state, another third by the local municipality, and a third by passengers, was viewed as undesirable by 59% of pro-government voters and 71% of opposition voters.
As to who was at fault for Budapest public transportation not having enough funds, 80% of pro-government supporters blamed the capital and Mayor Gergely Karácsony, while 75% of opposition voters said the Fidesz government and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán were responsible.
Only 4% of pro-government voters and 6% of the opposition said that the Budapest Transportation Company (BKV) and its holding company BKK were to blame for the lack of funds in the capital’s public transportation system.
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