Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is currently visiting the OSI S.A. depot.
The Prime Minister was shown around the fleet of new buses by the minister in charge, Christos Staikouras.
The new batch consists of 30 buses, but deliveries will be regular, in order to complete the supply of 211 buses for urban transport by the first quarter of 2025.
The government is treading on the fronts of everyday life in an effort to significantly improve the lives of citizens in the coming period.
A start was made months ago with the supply of 250 new electric buses with resources from the Recovery Fund, which have already been integrated into the routes in both the capital and the capital city (140 in Athens and 110 in Thessaloniki). These buses are air-conditioned, with mobile phone chargers, modern seats and infrastructure for the disabled.
The new buses are expected to cover the routes of the regions of Eastern and Western Attica.
No Recovery Fund resources were used to acquire them, but resources from the NSRF and the regular budget were used. For the most part, they will replace old ones, and in some cases buses will be added to the lines. Of course, in order to strengthen the routes, drivers need to be hired, which is not easy, as the recent hiring of contract drivers for the needs of OASTH in Thessaloniki took drivers away from the KTELs.
The first months of autumn, in parallel, will also be combined with bus procurement. According to reports, in the first week of September, the Court of Audit is expected to unblock the procurement of 300 buses through the leasing procedure, so that they too can be put on the routes. Of these, 100 will be electric buses on the model of those already integrated into urban routes. Once the green light is given, the procedures will follow to give them to the public, which is expected to be done within four months, by the end of the year.
Also, according to the ministry’s plans, a major procurement of gas-powered buses is also imminent. These are 300 new vehicles, the delivery of which is scheduled for no later than October 2025, with the necessary ordering and inspection procedures.
However, the first new gas-powered vehicles are also expected to be delivered to the passenger public from this year, with the delivery process being completed progressively. 100 of them will be 18 meters long and the rest 12 meters long. Of course, Thessaloniki also benefits from the supply of the new buses, given that until the metro starts operating this autumn, the bus remains the only public transport option for the citizens of the capital city.
Beyond the strengthening of the bus fleet, however, a critical breakthrough for urban transport was the pilot implementation of a contactless payment system using a bank card, smartphone or smartwatch on the buses of Athens International Airport’s Express lines.
This feature, which is critical, especially for younger passengers, is estimated to be available by the end of the year on all public transport vehicles under the jurisdiction of OASA.
