History of the Hungarian MRU Program
The Hungarian MRU program was started as a pilot project in the summer of 2005 by 5 Emergency Physicians working for the Hungarian EMS Agency’s Ambulance Service and using a specially equipped Yamaha FJR. The pilot program was tested near the Lake Balaton, a very popular summer destination causing dense crowds and immense traffic jams on the highways and roads leading up to the huge lake area. The pilot program was so successful that the following year the Hungarian EMS Agency purchased 2 additional Yamaha FJRs. The Motorcycle Response Unit was moved from the lakefront to the outskirts of Budapest because of the large amount of deadly traffic accidents on the M0 highway around Budapest and the uncontrollable traffic jams they would cause slowing the response times of responding units, even helicopter units, that could not land close to the accident scene. Both bikes, one stationed at the Highway Department depo in Godollo to the northeast of Budapest, and one stationed at the Highway Department depo in Szigetszentmiklos to the south of Budapest, were staffed by Emergency Physicians and the bikes were equipped with all gear to make them advanced ALS capable. In 2007, after the success of the bike program, one BLS equipped 50CC scooter was put in service in the center of Budapest based in the Castle district. The Hilton Hotel located in the middle of the castle area was kind enough to give accommodation to the Emergency Nurse on duty on the inner city scooter. Increasing call volumes, traffic, and need caused the rapid expansion of the MRU program in Hungary from 2009, when Erste Bank Hungary was kind enough to donate 3 brand new Honda ST1300s and the advanced ALS gear. Additional scooters were put in service in the center of the city, with two 300cc Honda scooters being added to the fleet. At the height of the program, 6 advanced ALS bikes and 2 XBLS bikes were operating in the Hungarian MRU program. The Hungarian MRU program today has 7 new Honda Africa Twin bikes and 2 Honda NC750 bikes in its fleet operating in Budapest and near the Lake Balaton area. The MRU season generally lasts from April until the end of October, however good weather sometimes allows the bikes to start earlier and end later in the season.