“We said it, we did it”. With this motto, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chose to sum up the government’s policy on Athens’ urban transport, during his speech at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s event entitled “Public transport is changing Athens”, at the Seppolian Axe.

The focus of the Prime Minister’s speech was both the major renewal of the bus fleet and the upgrading of Line 1, and the support of public transport workers, with Mitsotakis announcing the signing of new collective labour agreements for OSI, STASY and OASA.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis even revealed that the Finance Ministry had initially objected to the allocation of additional funds, noting that “as a rule, the answer is automatically no” when more money is requested.

However, he said, the government concluded that the upgrading of urban transport cannot be limited to new equipment and infrastructure, but must be accompanied by financial support for workers.

“We will sign in the coming days the new collective agreements as agreed between your unions and the administrations,” the prime minister said, describing the decision as “the minimum thank you” to the workers.

The Prime Minister said that many workers have spent their entire lives in urban transport and stressed that their remuneration should be in line with the great effort they put in every day.

At the same time, he noted that he sees “smiles of people who love their work”, linking this image to the overall change of climate in Athens’ public transport.

The Prime Minister placed particular emphasis on the renewal of the bus fleet, recalling that the target set in 2023 provided for 1,000 new buses by mid-2026.

“We have safely reached 1,076. We said it and we did it,” he said, adding that the plan now calls for the fleet to increase to 1,700 buses.

He said the new electric buses are fully accessible, environmentally friendly and have air conditioning, while offering better working conditions and safety for drivers.

She also made special reference to the need to strengthen staff, noting that for 15 years no recruitment had taken place in urban transport.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that the government emphasises on attracting new drivers through free training and a stable professional perspective, noting that the driving profession “has a future”, even in the era of artificial intelligence.

“I do not foresee driverless buses in the near or distant future,” he said.

At the same time, he stressed that the renewal of the fleet has also allowed for an improvement in the frequency of services, especially on the routes with the highest passenger traffic.

The Prime Minister referred in particular to the 550 line, noting that he himself used it as a student, and stressed that interventions on high demand lines have already started to pay off.

A large part of the speech was also about the overall strategy for tackling Athens’ traffic problem.

“If one believes that the solution is more roads, it is the wrong approach,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, stressing that the only long-term solution is a steady investment in public transport.

The Prime Minister also noted that the government maintains the lowest fare among European capitals, describing this choice as a policy with a social dimension.

At the same time, however, he announced an intensification of controls against fare evasion, saying that a cheap ticket presupposes that “everyone pays”.

Special emphasis was also placed on upgrading Line 1 of the Electric Line.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the first fully rebuilt train will be put into service next month, while 14 more trains will be delivered next year.

At the same time, he said that funds have already been secured for the reconstruction of ten more trains, noting that the work is being carried out in Volos by a Greek company and “by Greek hands”.

The Prime Minister also referred to the image of abandonment that – as he said – Line 1 had been presenting for years, citing cleanliness problems, old trains and graffiti that remained even for decades.

He also stressed that the goal is to reduce Metro time delays to 3.5 minutes during peak hours, and stressed that all available financial tools will be used to further strengthen public transport.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis also said that the government will invest more in technology and digital tools for public transport management, noting that there is significant room for improvement in the overall operation of the network.

Closing his speech, the Prime Minister made an appointment with the political leadership of the Transport Ministry for the first run of the new train on Line 1, reiterating that the government will remain “absolutely committed” to the goals it has set for Athens’ public transport.