“We said it, we did it” was the slogan Prime Minister Mitsotakis used when presenting the government’s plan for the radical overhaul of Athens’ public transportation system.
Speaking from the Sepolia bus depot in Athens, the prime minister focused on financial support for transport workers, the government’s decision to exceed its original bus fleet targets, and the upcoming launch of the refurbished Line 1 electric railway trains, known locally as the “Ilektrikos”.
Mitsotakis announced that new collective labor agreements for OSY, STASY and OASA — the companies operating Athens’ buses, metro and public transport network — will be signed within the coming days. He also revealed behind-the-scenes details, noting that the Ministry of Finance had initially objected to allocating additional funds.
As he explained, the government chose to move past the Finance Ministry’s automatic “no,” arguing that upgrading public transportation cannot focus solely on infrastructure, but must also include meaningful support for the people who operate the system. He described the new labor agreements as a “small thank you” to employees who have dedicated their lives to the capital’s transport network.
Bus Fleet Surpasses Original Target
Referring to the fleet renewal program, the prime minister recalled that the original 2023 target called for 1,000 new buses by mid-2026.
“We have already reached 1,076,” he said, announcing that the new target has now been raised to 1,700 buses. The new electric vehicles are environmentally friendly, fully accessible and air-conditioned, while also improving working conditions for drivers.
Mitsotakis placed particular emphasis on attracting new staff after 15 years of frozen hiring, offering free training and stable career prospects. He also remarked that the profession of bus driving still has a future, saying he does not foresee driverless buses replacing workers anytime soon, even with advances in artificial intelligence.
Refurbished Line 1 Trains to Launch Next Month
Major changes are also coming to Line 1 of the Athens rail network, which for decades has faced problems linked to aging infrastructure, neglect and vandalism.
The prime minister announced that the first fully reconstructed train set will enter service next month, while another 14 refurbished trains are expected to be delivered over the next year.
At the same time, funding has been secured for the renovation of an additional 10 train sets, with the work being carried out in the Greek city of Volos by Greek technicians. The target for the Athens Metro remains reducing waiting times to 3.5 minutes during peak hours.
Stricter Ticket Inspections Ahead
Concluding his remarks on Athens’ traffic congestion, Mitsotakis argued that building more roads is the wrong approach and insisted that investing in public transportation is the only sustainable solution.
He stressed that Athens still offers the cheapest public transport ticket among European capitals — a policy choice with a strong social dimension — but also signaled stricter fare inspections ahead, emphasizing that keeping ticket prices low depends on “everyone paying.”
