A total of 50,000 citizens used the metro, tram and buses that operated on a trial basis after midnight on Saturday 5/07 and early Sunday morning 6/07 in Attica, according to government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis.
Pavlos Marinakis: Goal is to establish this transport service operation every Saturday from September
As announced by the government spokesperson during the briefing of political editors, the goal is to establish this specific transport service operation every Saturday from September, for the first time in 20 years.
As he stated, a total of 70 buses were used, completing 490 routes. Additionally, 26 routes were added to metro lines 2 and 3, and 30 to the tram network.
Planning for permanent implementation from September
In any case, the success of the pilot operation paves the way for permanent implementation of the measure from autumn. STASY’s managing director, Thanasis Kottaras, stated that the metro can operate 24 hours at least every Saturday, after collecting and evaluating data from the pilot implementation.
The next steps include:
• Analysis of data from the pilot operation
• Recommendation to political leadership and the Ministry of Transport
• Discussion with employees regarding permanent implementation
• Completion of new staff recruitment
It should be noted that Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, in a social media post, acknowledged that there were minor problems but emphasized the importance of the experience. “Was everything perfect? No. But that’s how we learn: by doing,” he stated, adding that from September the metro can operate all night every Saturday, creating “an Athens that moves safely“.
