PUBLIC TRANSPORT and DRIVING

PUBLIC TRANSPORT and DRIVING
I live and work in Szentendre but my daughter goes to school in Budapest and
every morning before I go to work I drive her to school. I know we should walk, cycle
or use public transport but driving is much more comfortable for me. I’m a cautious
driver and I always follow the rules of traffic. I keep the speed limit. / I don’t
exceed the speed limit. In built-up areas the speed limit is ....... km/hour. On
motorways I usually drive at .......km/hour. I’m particularly careful on slippery roads
and when visibility is poor. I never try to force my way into a stream of traffic and
don’t use my horn unless it is absolutely necessary. In general, I think, that
Hungarian drivers are not very polite and rather aggressive. I’ve never had an
accident. A few years ago I was involved in a car accident, but it wasn’t my fault.
Fortunately, nobody was injured and my car wasn’t badly damaged. I never pick up
hitchhikers because I think it is rather dangerous: you never know a person’s
intentions.
I think many people prefer driving to travelling by public transport because public
transport vehicles are usually very crowded, they don’t run often enough and people
don’t like waiting at the stops. In addition, public transport is rather expensive. In
Budapest, for example, you have to pay about HUF300 for a ticket and a monthly
pass costs about HUF10,000. When you get on a vehicle you have to cancel /
validate your ticket. You can buy tickets at the underground stations, from ticket
machines or from the driver, but it is more expensive. A lot of people travel illegally /
dodge the fare because they can’t afford to buy tickets. Dodging the fare is risky
because if you are caught by a ticket inspector, you have to pay a fine and it is a
lot of money, too.
There are too many cars on the roads and as a result the roads are always
congested and there are traffic jams, especially in the morning and afternoon rush
hours. The most environment friendly public transport is the tram and the fastest
is the underground because it isn’t affected by traffic jams. The number of cars has
significantly increased over the past 20 years. Although cars can only run on
unleaded petrol they still emit harmful exhaust fumes, which pollute the air. The
most common traffic problem in Bp. is congestion and parking is also very difficult,
especially in the city centre. If you want to find a parking place you can drive around
for ages. The best idea is to leave your car in a parking lot / car park or in an
underground or multi-storey parking facility. Another solution is leaving your car
near an underground station on the outskirts of Bp. and taking the underground to
the city centre. I’m not sure if more people would use public transport, even if it were
cheaper. Too much traffic does not only pollute the air but causes noise pollution,
too, which is very bad for our nerves. In most city centres there are traffic free
areas, where people can relax or do their shopping in peace.
The majority of roads are in very bad condition: they are full of potholes.
Because of the shortage of money the roads are not repaired regularly and even if
they are, the job isn’t done properly. I believe the problem is that not the best quality
material is used.
The number of road accidents is growing and unfortunately a lot of people are
killed in accidents. The most common causes of road accidents are/include drink-
driving, speeding, illegal overtaking and ignoring the „give way” sign. In
Hungary there are no drink-drive limits / we have zero tolerance in this respect. / It
is strictly forbidden to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol
immediately makes you guilty in an accident. Some drivers run the red light or don’t
slow down or stop at the pedestrian crossings. Accidents are often caused by
drivers who talk on their mobile phones while they drive and don’t watch the road or
lose control of their vehicle. I think those motorists who commit driving offences
and don’t follow the rules of traffic / the Highway Code should be more seriously
punished. Along the roads there are speed cameras which also take a photo of
speeding cars and recognize the number plate automatically, and sometimes there
are random breath tests to screen intoxicated drivers. For serious traffic offences or
for causing somebody’s death the driver’s driving license is taken away and they
might be banned from driving for a few years. When you drive, you must make sure
that you have all the car papers (proof of car ownership, licence, vehicle registration
card, insurance cover note) with you. Illegal parking is also an offence and your car
can be towed away or the wheels of your car may be clamped and you have to pay
a lot of money if you want to get your car back or you want to have the clamps
removed.
If your car breaks down you take it to a garage, where the mechanics repair it,
or if it breaks down on the way you can call the Automobile Association and they
will help you. Owners must have their cars tested regularly because vehicles have
to be in good running order. If you realize that you are running out of petrol, you
go to a petrol station and fill it up. The price of petrol has gone up recently and
that’s why many people go to the neighbouring countries to by petrol.
If you want to learn to drive you go to a driving school, take driving lessons
from a driving instructor and then you take the driving test. It has two parts: the
theory test and the practical test. If you fail the test, you can repeat it several times
until you pass. Learning to drive isn’t cheap at all.
You can rent a car at a car hire / car rental facility. It is a good idea to enquire
about the rates, conditions, pick-up and drop-off points.
I think that despite the problems public transport in Hungary is quite well organized
and you can get anywhere by public transport. Compared to other countries it is
cheap, too.

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