Nearly ten times more money for bicycle routes15 February 2008
The construction of bicycle routes will launch EU developments in South Transdanubia. A bicycle route costing nearly 90 million HUF is about to be constructed between the settlements of Marcal and Boronka in Somogy County largely with the help of EU funding. The agreement that was signed on 13 February is the first assistance contract of the NHDP regional programmes earmarked a framework of 1600 billion HUF.
In 2007-2008, we are able to spend a total of nearly 10 billion HUF for constructing bicycle routes around the country from funding granted by the regional programmes. Over the course of the two years alone, over 95 billion HUF will be made available for the regions for the development of municipal roads and minor roads.
The development of bicycle routes was already a priority area within the framework of the National Development Plan running during the 2004-2006 period: new bicycle routes were constructed at 11 spots around the country as Eurovelo network developments – among others, along the banks of Lake Tisza, as well as certain stretches of the Tisza and the Danube - with the help of EU funding of a total of 2.4 billion HUF.
Beyond environmental protection and tourism, at the time of the development of the regional operational programmes of the New Hungary Development Plan, planners equally prioritised criteria relating to transport safety and making commuting to work easier. This is why the development of bicycle routes will be given even further priority during the 2007-2013 period, namely: in relation to the rate of funding approved within the scope of NDP I calls, nearly ten times more funding, i.e. 22.8 billion HUF, will be available for this purpose over the course of the 7-year period within the framework of the schemes of the regional programmes.
In a narrower context, in relation to the total amount allocated for this purpose within the framework of National Development Plan I, over four times more funding, i.e. 9.9. billion HUF, was approved and granted for the construction of bicycle routes within the scope of the calls for applications announced within the framework of the action plans for 2007-2008. So far 29 projects have been or will be granted funding of a total of 3.9 billion HUF within the framework of these calls in the two regions, namely South Transdanubia and the South Great Plain, where decisions on approval of funding have already been made. As a result of this, 140 km of new bicycle routes will be constructed during this 2-year period in these two regions alone making commuting to work safer and more environmental-friendly.
The development of municipal roads, as well as roads with 4 or 5 digits equally promotes the same objective, for which a total of over 200 billion HUF has been earmarked up to 2013 within the framework of the regional operational programmes of the New Hungary Development Plan. Out of this amount, in 2007-2008, 17.5 billion HUF has been earmarked for the modernisation of municipal roads, whilst 77.8 billion HUF can be spent on the development of minor roads. Applications have already been approved in the case of municipal roads: the residents of 18 settlements of Central Transdanubia will shortly be able to enjoy the renewed streets.