Every Friday, we transmit news that has passed “in the small” and we comment on the current situation around urban transport in Athens and elsewhere. If you want to receive the Athens Transport newsletter with all the news of the week in your email, subscribe here
By the end of next April, the first electric buses should be in circulation in Athens, thanks to its delivery of 140 buses from the Chinese company Yutong. Another 110 buses from the same manufacturer will go to Thessaloniki. There, at TIF, a company bus will also be installed these days for exhibition purposes.
This week, Parliament’s competent committee has given its consent for the signing of the contract, while a meeting was held at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport with representatives of the manufacturer whose main theme was schedules, which shows that the government does not want delays.
But this does not entirely depend on Yutong and the Greek representative, since the main problem will not be the construction and transportation of buses to our country, but all the other procedures, the most critical being that of installation of charging equipment in depots. Here we will also have the involvement of DEDDIE who will have to carry out projects to increase depot capacity (expected in January) to ensure that the necessary power supply will be available in time. Work at the depots expected to be completed by mid-Marchdate by which the vehicles should be approved by the ministry (customs clearance must be carried out from February), so that they can be released in April.
One way or another, it is possible that before the electric buses, we will see the first buses in circulation in Athens. 100 new modular gas buses manufactured by IVECOthe construction of which has already begun, while this contract should also soon be submitted to Parliament.
The main problem at the moment is the part of the contest that concerns her supply of 200 natural gas buses by the Italian-Turkish company Industria Italiana Autobus. As Minister Staikouras admitted in Parliament, without giving further details, there is a problem with the financing of the specific supply, since the EU it will not finance the supply of buses of this type from 2024. We have not received an answer as to when the ministry became aware of this and why this is only being announced now.
It is to highlight that all new natural gas buses (100+200) should be put into service in Athenssince there are no relevant facilities in Thessaloniki and there are no plans to create any.
However, the ministry insists that the 650 buses (for Athens and Thessaloniki) they will have been delivered by mid-2025. Concerning the second tender, also for the supply of 650 buses, the preparation of tender documents has started and is expected to be completed in December. The public consultation will begin in January while the announcement of the call for tenders will be made in April. The delivery of these buses is expected “by the end of four years”, which, however, does not keep pace with the first call for tenders.
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Flood in evangelization: They spared it at a low cost, as well as passengers and the Evangelismos metro station, since the main damage, after the removal of water and mud, concerns an elevator and three escalators. Their repair may take a few more days since water and mud have covered many parts of the equipment. As the corresponding videos show, the problem arose from the sudden overflow of water that had accumulated on Vas Avenue. Sofias, where the storm sewers apparently did not do their job (whether they were cleaned or not was not clarified) or were not sufficient.
But the responsible bodies must also act in such a way as to prevent such an image from reoccurring in the future. As we learn, the company’s engineers have already carried out a first autopsy of the site and it is planned that a plan of interventions and projects to modify the plan of the station (with regard to the entrance which caused the problem) is submitted for approval to the Hellenic Metro, which can contribute to its additional shielding. At the same time, next week a meeting will be held with representatives of the Municipality of Athens, during which the need for additional technical interventions in the adjacent Rizari Park will be discussed in order to prevent water from flowing towards the station.
Conscripts with a public transport pass: In response to a question from a conscript on whether free movement in Athens transport is valid for conscripts traveling to classification centers that have issued Guard boarding status, OASA replied that free movement only applies to those who have already been listed. For information, for the free movement of soldiers as well as NPCs, it is necessary to issue a personalized OASA card (or to update the profile of a card already issued) to an issuing office on presentation of a document military ID and relevant identification. certificate of the commander.
Irini station not accessible: Although it is located next to OAKA, the metro line 1 Irini station faces a serious accessibility problem, since the only elevator that connects the street to the station entrance (which is at a lower level) is located inside the premises (!) of the neighboring school HAVE FUN, and not in a public place. In an incident in which a security guard at the school gate did not allow a disabled passenger near the elevator to board a vehicle, the Hellenic Solution MP Sofia-Haido Asimakopoulou asked a question in Parliament, to which we will await the answer. It should be noted that on the OAKA side the station has a ramp to go down to the station entrance but no elevator.
Tram accident: With IX a tram collided in Glyfada on Friday September 1st, fortunately without causing any injuries. Such incidents in Glyfada and elsewhere are not uncommon and are mainly caused by reckless drivers.
Complaints regarding manager conduct: The “unprovoked attack and incarceration” of a board member of the Athens Metro Employees’ Union by a director of STA.SY. they condemn the Athens transport workers’ unions as well as the Athens Labor Centre, which notes that the incident is not isolated and calls on the company’s management to take measures to protect the employee from the specific manager.
Municipal transport Papagos – Cholargos: By decision of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the Municipality of Papagos – Cholargos was entrusted with the execution of the following municipal transport lines: 10 named “Konitsis Square – Center Cholargos (circular)”, 20 named “Schools Cholargos – Ethn. Defense Metro Station (Circular)”, special use “Konitsis Square – Cemeteries”, special use “National Resistance Square – Cemeteries” and special use “Konitsis Square – Cemeteries – 1st stop Cyprus” . Of course, these routes have existed for years, but, as in most municipalities, the decision on the matter was not taken by the ministry.
The Greek metro remains in the red: The widening of losses in 2022 shows the financial results of Elliniko Metro SA (former Attiko Metro) for the previous year. Net losses reached 182.6 million euros compared to 175.8 million euros in 2021. The company increased both long-term liabilities (2.178 billion euros) and short-term liabilities ( 2.049 billion euros) due to new borrowing and executed projects. It should be noted that the balance of long-term loans of the Hellenic Metro reaches 2.038 billion euros, of which 96.6 million relate to the balance of loans from the 1990s for the base project of the Metro. Hellenic Metro has real estate assets worth more than 2.4 billion euros and 418 employees (compared to 444 at the end of 2021).
Ministerial positions: Another transferable associate has been hired in the office of the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, Mr. Alexopoulos. Two transferable associates (one of whom will assume the role of Office Manager) have also been hired in the special office of the new Secretary General for Infrastructure, Mr. Konstantinos Magoulas.
Transport scholarship: The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has taken a decision regarding the payment of the 9th monthly installment of the regular subsidy for the year 2023 to OSY in the amount €10,356,150 and the STASY amount 2,094,750 euros. In addition, the ministry approved a credit commitment of €7,618,308.93 as a subsidy to OSY due to the energy crisis and in particular to cover the cost of the increase in diesel and heating during the second half of 2022 and €2,176,204 to cover the cost borne by the production and traction of electricity following the increase in the average price of the megawatt during the period from 01.09.2022 to 31.12.2022. Finally, a height concession was approved €2,864,406.56 to OSY to cover its operating costs, due to the energy crisis, during the period from 1.1.2022 to 31.08.2022.
KTEL payment: An expenditure of 2,112,113.42 euros was made by OASA concerning the advance payment of the monthly compensation for September 2023 to the KTEL companies as part of the contract between them. The amount is distributed as follows: 928,661.81 euros to KTEL Corinthia, 857,984.64 euros to KTEL Attica, 180,761.58 euros to KTEL Evia and 144,705.36 euros to KTEL Thebes.
Around the world by public transport
In Greece…
…And in the world
Clarity
- Decision relating to the secondment of an OSY driver to the Recovery Fund
Alexandros Liaros – athenstransport.com
Transport without evaluation, new recruitments in the metro and ghost tram routes