Improved Community Transport in Szeged23 August 2010
Following EU financing of over 296 million HUF in the framework of the South Great Plain Operational Programme, the local government of Szeged has improved its community transport. The 330 million HUF development was handed over on Saturday.
The aim of the project is to supplement and complete the various projects related to the improvement of Szeged’s transport system, creating environmentally friendly transport. The joint implementation of these projects reduces the number of people travelling by car, and simultaneously increases the number of those cycling or using public transport.
The establishment of a bus station at Tarján was the result of the objective of developing the apartment block area and the existence of the so-called third boulevard. This bus terminal is still second only to the one on Mars tér, in terms of size and importance for both local and regional bus traffic.
As a result of the project, a new bus lane has been created, and traffic safety measures, such as designation and painting of pedestrian crossings have been implemented. In addition, wheelchair accessibility of the platforms contributes to improved traffic safety management.
As part of the project, bus bays have been renovated in the busiest bus stops in the city; the old bays with broken and rutted paving caused a considerable amount of extra vehicle maintenance cost.
Because the area around the Tarján Víztorony tér in Szeged’s Tarján district had deteriorated, the area affected by the development plans has been landscaped. Furthermore, in the framework of the project an electronic passenger information system was created to facilitate and accelerate traffic management, passenger information (e.g. about service cancellations, and other traffic information) and help passengers to plan their journey. The exact location and schedule of bus departures are displayed on seven remote-controlled electronic signboards.
The Call for proposals “Development of community transport” of the South Great Plain Operational Programme has had 30 successful project proposals, with a total EU funding of nearly 5.5 billion HUF.