Debrecen4U
March 12, 2026
Almost One Million County Passes, 300,000 Daily Tickets Per Month: Debrecen Evaluates Fare Reform
Initial experiences with the fare integration system introduced in Debrecen at Christmas have been positive. Negotiations are currently under way regarding the possible accession of Miskolc, and several other municipalities have also expressed interest in the opportunity. The establishment of a city management centre in Debrecen was also discussed at a professional conference on current issues in regional transport.
Ten new buses entered service in Debrecen at the end of February. The development of the vehicle fleet was also discussed at the professional conference organised by DKV Zrt. and the Association for Transport Science. The event addressed current tasks affecting transport, development directions, and examples of good practice. One such example is the fare integration system that has been operating in the city since Christmas.
“We were looking for opportunities where regional and local transport could meet. It may be more attractive for residents and passengers that they can use services in both local and regional transport with a single ticket. I believe this example will prove contagious, not only in the city of Debrecen,” said Szabolcs Tóth, President of the Hajdú-Bihar County regional organisation of the Association for Transport Science.
The event also addressed the experiences of the transport fare reform. Nearly one million county passes are now sold, while approximately three hundred thousand county and national day tickets are sold each month. According to experts, this has significantly reshaped travel habits and the operation of public transport. The creation of fare integration further strengthens this process: following Debrecen, negotiations are currently under way regarding the joining of Miskolc, and several other municipalities have also expressed interest.
“As the second city in the country, and the first among large cities outside the capital, Debrecen succeeded in concluding such an agreement. This system has now been operating for about two and a half to three months, and the initial experiences are fundamentally positive,” said Tamás Bálint Szabó, Head of the Transport Services Department at the Ministry of Construction and Transport.
One of Debrecen’s greatest strengths is that it approaches important matters through cooperation, said Deputy Mayor Ákos Balázs.
As he explained, in recent years the city has become the economic, cultural and educational centre of the region, which makes it a key issue that development should take place in a sustainable manner. Transport – and the development of public transport in particular – plays a prominent role in this. As part of this effort, the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan has been prepared, one element of which is the creation of a city management centre.
“By the end of the year we will reach the point where our centre will be completed and we will begin establishing the technical conditions required for it. By the end of the following year, we will take the first major step towards dynamically managing the city’s systems based on data, also taking into account the possibilities of artificial intelligence,” said Ákos Balázs, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen.
Several presentations were included in the programme of the professional conference: for example, participants were also able to hear about the development of public transport in Oradea.
Source and photo credit: dehir.hu
