The woes of the world-famous Tokaj wine town never seem to end. First came the "ignoble" rot, then there was the unseasonal frost and now its status as one of Hungary's eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites is under threat. Unless, that is, heavy tractor-trailer traffic passing through it is reduced, writes Magyar Hírlap. If you listen to Assistant Mayor János Cseh, the situation seems pretty hopeless. Blocking the roads in protest would be counter-productive, and cause even more congestion and pollution. Introducing a toll on the three-kilometer stretch of road between Rakamaz and Tokaj won't help either, as most heavy goods vehicles have motorway stickers and would continue to use the road, which is already in very poor condition. The only solution is to build a connecting road and bridge at Tiszalök, and where is the money going to come from for that, he sobbed.

Mayor János Májer is more optimistic, announcing that if no solution can be found domestically, he will turn to international organizations to force the Hungarian government to address the problem. Earlier, State Secretary Balázs Felsmann agreed to meet Májer, but failed to appear at the time and place arranged, leaving the mayor Májer to return to the choking fumes and relentless traffic of Tokaj empty handed.