The initiatives undertaken by the government to reduce traffic on key roads, such as Kifissos, were mentioned, among other things, in an interview today the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Staikouras.

One of the major projects is the creation of a supply chain centre in the Fili area, which will move the approximately 20,000 small business movements away from the Kifisos axis. In this way, the goal is to decongest traffic, although, he noted, “it is not possible to immediately add additional lanes on either Kifissos or Attiki Odos.”

The minister also spoke about future projects under consideration, which include bridges in the area of Skaramanga, the extension of Kimi Avenue, undergrounding in Piraeus for easier access to the port and the extension of Attiki Odos. All these proposals are targeted interventions, but require significant funding and careful planning to be implemented.

950 new buses on the roads of Attica by summer 2025
Infrastructure and Transport Minister Staikouras announced 270 new buses on the roads of Attica, starting with 140 electric buses, and said more are being added every week. Indicatively, he said that the first 20 of the 100 new 18-metre-long natural gas buses are arriving next week, while an additional 100 vehicles are expected to arrive by the end of the year through leasing, with a total target of 400 by the end of the year and 950 by the summer of 2025.

Staikouras also pointed out that 39% of the fleet is not accessible to disabled people, so older vehicles will be withdrawn. A tender is also being added for 700 new buses, 200 of which will be trolleybuses and 50 hydrogen-fuelled, to bring them in line with new European practices. At the same time, he stressed the need to find drivers, noting that it is still a difficult exercise for the ministry.

Thessaloniki Metro ready by November 30
By the end of the year, 50% of the bus fleet in Thessaloniki will have been renewed, according to the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. As he said, “many times you train a driver, then he moves and leaves because he has a better salary than the private sector,” making the process of recruiting and retaining drivers difficult.

Staikouras announced that “we will be ready 30/11” to hand over 13 new stations and 15 trains to citizens, after 18 years of delays. On Metro safety, he noted that from 2021 “tests have started on both systems and trains”, with the aim of certifying safety by an independent assessor.

Regarding the pricing policy, he said that “it is not the single ticket as in Athens”, but that the city will implement a system of “60 minutes for the metro and 60 minutes for the buses”, which will be in force for six months. After that, the use of the means of transport by citizens will be evaluated to see if a single ticket is needed.