Aging buses to be replaced in Athens, Thessaloniki

In a bid to revamp the aging bus fleets of Athens and Thessaloniki, the Transport Ministry has appointed a technical adviser to look into the procurement of 750 new vehicles.

The adviser, who has been hired on a nine-month contract, is expected to submit an application for funding from the European Union by the end of the year. Assuming the funding is approved, the new vehicles are expected to be procured within 2020.

The bus fleets of Athens and Thessaloniki were last upgraded in 2004, with the majority of vehicles reportedly now unfit for the road.

Of the 2,023 buses in the two cities, only 950 are in circulation, Kathimerini understands. The remainder are parked in depots, either deemed too old to be roadworthy or lacking crucial spare parts.

The average age of a city bus in Athens and Thessaloniki is 13 years.