At its last meeting the Government approved of the submission made by the Ministry of National Development on the identification of for priority transport security project proposals in action plans, Deputy State Secretary for Transport Zoltán Schváb reported during the signing of the related support contract for Állami Autópálya Kezelő Zrt. (ÁAK) on 27 March, 2012 in Budapest. In acknowledgement of the significance of this unprecedented transport security programme, a decision was made to allocate HUF 38 billion on the aggregate for launching railway and public road infrastructure programmes to prevent accidents causing personal injuries.

With support from the New Széchenyi Plan, ÁAK, MÁV, Magyar Közút and GYSEV may spend HUF 13.2 billion, 12.4 billion, 11.4 billion and 982 billion, respectively, on transport security interventions in networks operated by these companies. The works, which typically do not require building permits, will be completed at the latest by the second half of 2015. Thus their outcome may soon materialise in the further improvement of accident statistics. As a common feature, these projects are efficient: at relatively low costs significant results can be achieved in cutting the number of accidents, mitigating their outcomes the reducing the damages caused to persons and property, the Deputy State Secretary stressed.

In the past decade the number of people diseased in public road accidents nearly halved in Hungary: it dropped from 1239 to 646 per year. Similarly favourable data were recorded only in the 1960s and 1970s, with considerably fewer cars and less traffic. The ministry supports further improvement in accident statistics through building more secure public road infrastructure and encouraging the spread of smart technologies.

On the ministry’s initiative, funds in the amount of HUF 50 billion have been allocated for the first time under the New Széchenyi Plan for infrastructure developments promoting the prevention of accidents involving personal injuries. The itemised project list was compiled on the basis of the expert recommendations made by the railway companies and public road operators who have the most thorough knowledge of the related problems and the focal points of accidents.

The projects planned by ÁAK, of which the development of smart traffic control systems were highlighted by Zoltán Schváb, will have been completed by the end of 2014. The road operator will install high-tech changeable road signs, traffic monitoring cameras, meteorological detectors and traffic counter loops in the speedway network. In addition to preventing accidents, these developments will serve passengers’ faster travel and high level and quick information.

(Ministry of National Development , Department of Communication)