Road Competition in Hungary.

Road competition continues to hit the railways of many European lands, and in Hungary the Government has issued a decree granting the State Railways an exclusive concession for the movement of freight by road. This concession has been granted on the understanding that the right to operate road vehicles is exercised through a co-operative society of the existing road carriers. As a result of this move, road transport in Hungary is now administered by a committee of six, of whom three members are appointed by the railways and three by the co-operative society.

Under the new arrangements, Hungary has been divided into seven districts. Freight moving within each district may be transported throughout by road, but freight passing from one district to another must travel by rail, the co-operative society being responsible only for terminal cartage. Provision is made for a scale of minimum charges for road transport, based upon loading capacity, and fixed at a definite sum per kilometre regardless of the nature of the load. Care is to be taken to ensure that only skilled drivers are employed on road vehicles, and each driver is required to carry an identity card, a map of the area in which he is authorised to work, and other official documents. State railway inspectors have the right to call for the production of these documents at any time.