Public transport services to be boosted at rush hour

Transport Minister Kostas A. Karamanlis said Monday that last week’s decision to increase the frequency of public transport services in the capital, which involved revoking the holiday leave of staff, has already improved conditions for commuters who had complained about overcrowding that could compromise the physical distancing required to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Following a visit to the central control center for the Athens metro, Karamanlis said services would be boosted to ensure that commuters have to wait no more than six or seven minutes for a train on lines 2 and 3 during rush hour and no more than eight minutes on Line 1, the Athens-Kifissia urban electric railway (ISAP).

The increased frequency will be monitored and additional changes made if necessary, he said.

He added that there were plans to hire more drivers for both the metro and city buses, where overcrowding is also a problem.