Motorist conquest in big cities: The case of Budapest

Economic growth requires well functioning transport systems. The paper deals with the problems associated with ever-increasing car use and traffic jams in Budapest. Car scarcity was the major problem that impeded car use two decades ago which has transformed into road scarcity since then. Road capacity is limited in the Hungarian capital, only the public transport can help to satisfy medium run travel demand of residents. As motorisation and car use grow congestion related time loss, petrol and pollution costs put a heavy burden on Budapest. International experience shows that restrictions on cars can mitigate congestion. In many large cities introduction of road pricing in central areas has become one of the most successful traffic management solutions. Experience in London and Stockholm confirms that citizens support car use restrictions even if they are placed on car use