In the effort traffic managementin the projects that will ensure that in the future Athens will not become an inaccessible city, in the strengthening of the Public Transport in Athens and Thessaloniki and in the big projects that are done in the whole country that was mentioned on Friday by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Costas Karamanlis.

Speaking to “Ant1”, regarding the traffic, Mr. Karamanlis pointed out that in Greece the mistake that has been made is that the bodies involved are not one and two, but too many. “The citizen, however, does not care who is responsible for a traffic light, he does not care which ministry is responsible. He says: You are responsible, sit down and find solutions “he noted and stressed that for the first time a key step is being taken: The Metropolitan Body, which means that” those who have the responsibility, we will sit at a table and decide “.

Mr. Karamanlis reminded that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has presented a 4 + 4 point plan for traffic. He stressed that the ministry has limited responsibilities on this issue, but added that the government is responsible for coordinating all agencies.

“It took us 28 years to start a new Metro line. He recently visited the construction site of Line 4 of the Metro and I was thinking about it “he commented and added that in order to deal with the traffic, interventions must be made in the short and long term, but mainly in the long term.

He also mentioned that in Elliniko one of the biggest renovation projects is taking place and therefore specific road projects must be carried out, the so-called Attica projects: The extension of Kimi Avenue, the undergrounding of Ilioupolis and the extensions to Lavrio and Rafina, where a railway will be built. . connection.

Regarding the strengthening of public transport, Mr. Karamanlis reminded that in 2019 there were 850 buses on the streets of Athens and today there are 1,350. “We have not been left with folded arms,” ​​he stressed, noting that with the funding from the Recovery Fund, the tender for the supply of new vehicles has proceeded. He noted that the first new electric buses are expected in early 2023.

“These competitions are difficult and labyrinthine, but at least this time we have funding. Very basic. that is, we have the necessary money to take the buses. Because in the past they often announced that they would get something without having the money. “And then they just threw the ball of responsibility left and right,” said Mr. Karamanlis.

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport also referred to the war in Ukraine and the international crisis in the construction sector. “The problem we have with the big projects or with the orders we get for buses and underground systems has nothing to do with the huge problems on production lines in Asia. Because, as we all see, pandemics, inflation and punctuality have created issues on production lines. This is an issue we are facing “said Mr. Karamanlis and added:” But here that the ministry and the government were one step ahead is that when all these price increases of raw materials started, we with the ministerial decisions revised to a very important rate the prices so that we can give them some relief. ».

For Thessaloniki, Mr. Karamanlis stressed that even the most skeptics admit that the situation in public transport has improved significantly, the renewal of the fleet in the co-capital is even greater than in Athens. “The assessment and commitment we have given as a government is for the Thessaloniki Metro to operate at the end of 2023,” he said, adding: . Venizelou and the project went months back. But 90% of the project is completed. In the coming days you will see other squares, which were construction sites for more than 12 years bothering the people of Thessaloniki, being delivered back to the city, and this is an indication that the project is in its last stage “.

Mr. Karamanlis also referred to the auction of railway works worth 5 billion. euros and in the “White Arrow”, emphasizing that the coveted goal is to make the Athens-Thessaloniki line electric and to travel the route approximately 3: 30-3.40 hours.

He also stressed that with the expansion of the Athens Metro to Piraeus, the country’s largest port will finally be connected for the first time with the country’s largest airport.

“All these moves that we make, all these projects that we unfold, are projects that are not fragmentary. These are moves of a plan to improve the infrastructure and to improve the daily life of the citizens “, stressed Mr. Karamanlis.