Draconian measures to curb noise, street drinking in Budapest’s party district

Meanwhile, Hungary reports first coronavirus cases

After months of negotiations, the leadership of Erzsébetváros adopted a package of unprecedented measures against noise, street drinking, littering and other chronic problems plaguing Budapest’s party district.

As Népszava newspaper reported, the package obliges catering facilities to close at midnight except for bars, restaurants and other places that stick to the strict regulations (the latter will obtain a one-year licence). These envisage, among other things, that after midnight, these facilities must grant access to their restrooms to people from the street, and not just to guests.

Everyone, especially tourists, must be well informed about this opportunity with clearly visible pictograms. Nightclubs must hire at least one person to prevent guests from consuming alcohol on the street.

Devices to measure noise and count number of guests

In order to reduce the noise load, the installation of a noise measuring device will also be mandatory. After midnight, visitors must keep quiet while eating on terraces or rooms with open doors and windows and this will be strictly monitored.

In the future restaurants will be required to install special equipment that would count the number of guests entering and refuse entry to any after the full capacity of the facility has been reached.

Regarding hygiene, pubs will have to pay more attention to cleaning their interior and the pavement in front, at least once a day, preferably in the morning, and dispose of municipal waste. Accordingly, the use of plastic cups after midnight will be banned for environmental reasons.

To inform people of the adopted measures, the municipality will soon announce a competition for posters to be displayed in public spaces and within the catering areas.

Catering establishments that shrink the regulations would be warned, then fined and following the third warning would lose their licence and would be forced to close for three days each week. 

The coronavirus has arrived

Hungary reported on Wednesday its first cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. The affected two Iranian students are at present symptom-free, but have been taken to Budapest’s St. László Hospital. Both have recently visited Iran to celebrate the Iranian New Year with their families.

The Budapest Operational Staff was summoned on Thursday morning. Mayor Gergely Karácsony declared on his Facebook page that the city companies are well prepared to contain the virus spread, and, although the mineral water is said to kill the germs, there is extraordinary disinfection going on in Széchenyi Baths.