Budapest To Encourage Cycling

"In Paris, it took a devoted mayor and a month-long public transport strike to turn bicycles into an attractive option for local people."

"In Budapest, the starring role has gone to Deputy Mayor Miklos Hagyo: a corpulent figure, he is perhaps unlikely poster boy."

"But sporadic strike action over several months by the Hungarian public transport unions has helped to press home the urgency of the problem."

"Driving around the Hungarian capital has become increasingly laborious, with the average speed for cars decreasing for decades to the point where uninterrupted driving is now the exception rather than the rule."

"The plan calls for a change of attitude towards cycling; the establishment of a bike-friendly environment; and infrastructure planning that also takes into account two-wheeled traffic."

"In practical terms this includes setting up bike paths, theft-proof storage with shelters at metro stops and bicycle facilities at every new construction site, said Laszlo."

"But it also involves teaching drivers and bikers tolerance."