Budapest: Parking revenues may go to the capital

Under an agreement between the government and the capital, the capital would in future organize parking in Budapest and collect the revenue generated from it. Mayor Gergely Karácsony announced this after the October 1, 2026 meeting of the Budapest Public Development Council. The change requires an amendment to the law: according to Dávid Vitézy, Minister for Transport and Investment, the relevant laws will soon be amended to establish a unified parking system; the sources do not specify when it will take effect. The announcement concerns the organization of parking and the collection of revenue; the sources do not mention any new parking fees or new payment rules for motorists.

The capital would organize parking and collect the revenue

At the press conference, Gergely Karácsony said that from now on the capital would organize parking and collect the revenue it generates. According to the mayor, management of the capital’s roads has always been a municipal responsibility, while parking revenues have gone to the districts. According to Portfolio’s report, Dávid Vitézy said they would propose creating a unified parking system and would soon amend the relevant laws to that end. The transition is therefore conditional on an amendment to the law, and its timing is not yet known. The announcement does not make clear whether the way motorists start or pay for parking will change.

The mayor spoke of a unified parking system for the capital, which he said could be operated more efficiently. He said that most of the revenue is currently absorbed by operating costs. He also announced that a Budapest road fund would be established using parking revenue. The sources provide no details about what further steps will be involved in creating the unified system, or when these might become apparent in the day-to-day experience of motorists.

The decision is part of an agreement between the government and Budapest

Alongside the announcement about parking, Gergely Karácsony also reported that the government would provide the capital with a one-off payment of HUF 120 billion and withdraw the lawsuits it had previously filed against the city. According to the mayor, the funding will make it possible to pay the solidarity contribution and settle certain debts. In return, the capital has committed to making HUF 20 billion in savings on its operating costs in 2027.

The agreement also provides for a reduction in the solidarity contribution, but according to Karácsony, the amount affecting Budapest will only become clear after agreements have been concluded with all municipalities. The press conference also addressed the organization of transport: the mayor presented the regional BKK plan, under which the state and the capital would jointly decide on the service and fund the system equally. As for parking, however, the specific measure announced was the intention for the capital to organize parking and collect the revenue.

What do motorists know at this point?

The sources do not give any new hourly rates, zone boundaries, or parking periods. Nor do they specify whether the transition to organization by the capital will change how parking tickets are purchased. If you park in Budapest, based on the announcement, there is no reason for now to assume that new fees or a different payment system will apply. If you want to check a parking zone code, you can do so using the zone finder.

Several district mayors objected to the plan. At a press conference held before the agreement was signed, they complained that they had not been informed about the negotiations between the capital and the government. Ferencváros Mayor Krisztina Baranyi said at the time that she would ask for the parking decision to be removed from the agenda of the Budapest Public Development Council. According to Portfolio, the mayors of six districts protested in a joint statement: they estimated that the six districts would lose a total of around HUF 9 billion in revenue and indicated that they might also take legal action. Karácsony later said he was open to discussing the matter with the mayors.

The key point of the announcement is that under the agreement, organizing parking and collecting the revenue in Budapest will become the responsibility of the capital once the necessary legislative amendment has been passed. The information released does not say whether motorists will need to do anything differently when parking. The sources also contain no information about changes to parking fees.

Sources: Telex, Portfolio