New hike in toll fares, and now in installments

During the next 4 months toll fares are expected to increase even by 50% if the consortiums stick to the letter of the contracts signed in 2007.

Meanwhile, staff cuts are continuing in Olympia Odos, who laid off 55 more workers in the last days, increasing the number to 125 in the last 3 months.

Despite the fact that lately the negotiation for the resetting of the contract terms is peaking, causing internal turbulence and disagreement even within the ministry, the companies are pushing for the implementation of the new increases in toll fares.

Since the beginning of the year the Aegean Motorway, which is constructing the Maliakos-Kleidi section, has had the opportunity to reconfigure the fares by 33% since the restoration of the Katerini-Kleidi road surface came before the end of 2010. The company maintains that the works were delivered 2,5 months prior to the contracted agreement for March 11 2011. A few days ago a new letter was sent to Egnatia Odos, in which the consortium is asking for permission to increase the fares, otherwise it will have to claim the losses from the State.

A 20% raise in March and another 30% in June are scheduled for the fares along the Olympia Odos network, which is constructing the Korinthos-Patra motorway, but also in Ionia Odos from Antirrio to Giannena, which is also handling the Athens-Lamia motorway from Metamorfosi to Skarfia.

The ministry denies that such raises are possible at the same time when they are attempting to decrease the fares in the network still under construction.

It’s worth noting that new increased prices, from 0,7 to 3,2 euros, have been adopted on the Rio-Antirio bridge from today.