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For the largest program of the project, worth more than 13,000 million euros, prepared by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the start of the preliminary works of Metro Line 4, the reinforcement of public transport, with new buses and routes , the blockade but and the ballot boxes, spoke the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Mr. Costas Karamanlis.
In an interview with the newspaper “Paraskinio”, the minister assured that after years emblematic projects have been unlocked and are included in the program of integrated projects, worth more than 13,000 million euros.
“It is the most important program after the Olympic Games and the 2004-2009 period. Projects that the place needs and that can give a great boost to the economy. These include emblematic projects that we managed to unlock after years: Line 4, Metro de Thessaloniki, Patras-Pyrgos, E65, VOAK. And at the same time, a number of new projects, such as the flyover in Thessaloniki, the Attiki Odos extensions in Athens, flood protection projects across the country, road safety interventions , the largest railway project in history. “
As Mr. Costas Karamanlis pointed out, “there is a financing plan for everything, because we do not announce a project if we are not sure we can finance it.” The fact that for some there is a new possibility of financing, from the Recovery Fund, is something that we did not expect at first and, obviously, creates new, even better perspectives ”.
Finally, Metro Line 4 begins
Asked about the start of the Metro expansion works, that is, Line 4, the Minister said that after many years of delays, Metro Line 4 is finally starting, the largest public project to be carried out in Greece in the next years. “From the first moment we committed ourselves, and then certainly many did not believe us, that after years the Athenians would see Metro projects in the city center again. And in fact, in the next period we will see the first works in operation “, he stressed and added that” it is a project that will change daily life in Athens. “
More buses, more itineraries in MMM
Next, the minister pointed out the movements that have been made and those that are planned for the next few days, in the MMM, especially now with the gradual opening of social life since the confinement. As you said today in Athens, we have 3,000 more bus routes per day compared to September. We created 655 new jobs at OSY and STASY. We received 850 buses on the road, today we have 1,250, an increase of almost 50%.
Now, he continued, “another 300 buses come with lease. We received the green light from the Court of Accounts and in about a week they will also begin to circulate gradually. In the Metro, the time distances have been reduced by 2.5-3΄. even greater progress in Thessaloniki: We received 235 buses on the road, today we are at 454. We almost doubled them. “
As noted, at the same time, the tender for 1,300 new green buses for Athens and Thessaloniki is underway; the consultation for the first 800 has started. “We are doing all this in the middle of a pandemic and while the previous government had done absolutely nothing. The only thing that had risen was the price of the ticket. But we reduced it again,” he stressed.
“SYRIZA sees the pandemic as an opportunity for petty partisan exploitation”
Regarding the criticisms made by SYRIZA, Karamanlis noted that, sadly, from the first moment of this unprecedented global health crisis, SYRIZA instead of seeing the pandemic as a crisis that requires a national effort, sees it as an opportunity to partisan exploitation.
“Are things going better? He disputes it. Are they getting worse? Almost flatters. We closed? Shouts for the economy. Are we relaxing? Shouts for health. They do the same with the MMM, they try to generate impressions.”
In fact, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, affirmed that SYRIZA wants to cover is that for 4.5 years it dissolved the MMM, it did not make a single contract, it did not take a single bus. “On the contrary, we are doing what we can, we are implementing a comprehensive plan, which of course has not solved all the problems but has tangible results,” concluded the minister.
Finally, when asked about the relaxation of the measures and the “fatigue” of the citizens, Mr. Karamanlis pointed out that the pandemic is at its most difficult turning point, but at the same time there is optimism about the course of vaccines .
“At the moment we want to find the balance between fatigue and the experts’ suggestions for contagious mutations,” concluded the minister, noting that all the indicators confirm that our country is in a comparatively better position than most EU countries. Ε.
Finally, Mr. Karamanlis spoke about the latest polls, emphasizing that “with all reasonable fluctuations, ND has a much larger difference with SYRIZA than it did with the elections, 20 months ago.” “Beyond that, we are studying the results of the polls and you can be sure that we are drawing the correct conclusions and we are listening carefully to citizens.”
