THE FREEDOM that followed the demise of the Soviet empire in eastern Europe has brought unwelcome fellow travellers. Crime and corruption have become rampant, with unscrupulous groups and individuals perceiving rail freight and passengers as easy targets.
Statistics released by Hungarian State Railways show that the incidence of theft from MAV trains or property rose from 2883 in 1993 to 3744 in 1996, with thefts from passengers up from 1224 to 1838. There were 859 attacks by vandals on rolling stock and stations in 1993 but 1094 in 1996, and the number of incidents in which safety equipment or trains were damaged increased from 1922 to 2916.
MAV is aiming to combat the threat of theft from freight consignments by introducing computerised shipment tracking. Many international freight flows pass through Hungary, and transit traffic in particular is expected to benefit. By ensuring trains are not held needlessly in yards and stations, criminals will be given fewer opportunities, and MAV has secured funds worth more than US$100m to modernise its network and reduce delays. Corruption among staff is being tackled by an intensive training programme backed by the Hungarian customs organisation with support from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The crooks had better watch out. o
