Due to changes in the economic environment and increased operating costs, DKV Zrt. has proposed a 10.4% increase in ticket and fare prices to the Debrecen City Council. The company announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the last price increase in May 2023 was significantly below the rate of inflation.
According to their statement, if the city council approves the price change, the fares in Debrecen will not be exceptional compared to other provincial cities.
In the case of advance purchase of single tickets, there are already cities where prices are slightly higher than the expected Debrecen prices in January, and tickets purchased from the driver will reach that level, assuming a 10.4% change.
If the city council approves the proposal, student and pensioner tickets will reach, or only slightly exceed, the fares of other provincial cities after the change. The current changes will not affect children aged 6-14 who are studying or attending kindergarten in Debrecen.
Those with a Junior Debrecen City Card can travel free of charge on local trams, buses, and trolleybuses for 9 months in 2024 and for the entire year in 2025.
It was stated that in addition to the fare changes, the company is continuously striving to improve the quality of its services. Taking into account travel data and travel habits, DKV Zrt. has made six corrections to its timetable in 2024, on March 4, May 21, June 3, September 2, October 7, and November 18.
Timetable changes
Route 19 buses now run to the Ice Rink, while Józsai routes run to Segner Square again on weekends. The 14Y buses introduced in the spring provide a direct connection between Doberdó utca and Tégláskert utca.
A circular route, line J1, has been launched in Alsójózsá, and the weekend and holiday departures of route 4 trolleybuses have been restored. New bus routes, numbered 72, 73, and 73A, have been launched to serve the North-Western Economic Zone. The routes previously known as 20E, which served this zone, have been renumbered as 71/71A for easier association and memorization.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, an additional service will be launched on route 33E. In addition to the introduction of new routes, this year there have been frequency increases on several routes. Route 36A buses run every 30 minutes during peak hours on weekdays, instead of every 60 minutes, the headway of route 19 has been reduced to 20 minutes, and route 17 buses depart from Segner Square every 40 minutes between 1 pm and 7 pm, instead of every 60 minutes.
Cheaper electronically
Since 2022, the company has differentiated between the prices of some tickets purchased electronically and those purchased on paper. The goal is to encourage more people to purchase their tickets and passes electronically, so their prices are lower. The decision has yielded the expected results. In August 2022, 32% of passengers purchased daily tickets electronically, and in October 2024, this figure had already reached 66%. Over the same period, the purchase of student passes increased from 58% to 67%, and for pensioners from 21% to 47%.
Seeing this trend, the company considers the lower price for electronic tickets successful, so even after the current price change, those who purchase their tickets electronically will be able to do so at a lower price.
If the city council approves the company’s proposal, DKV Zrt. will discontinue quarterly student and pensioner passes, as the demand for these types of passes has significantly decreased due to the increasing popularity of electronic passes and the introduction of monthly passes.
From January 1, 2025, several elements of the penalty system will change. The basic on-the-spot fine will be HUF 7,000, but this will also have to be paid if, within 5 days of the inspection, the passenger purchases at least a monthly electronic pass valid for the period of the inspection.
(DKV)
