OSY

Test runs began in Athens on Tuesday for 32 of 140 new electric buses that road transport organization OSY has bought from Chinese company Yutong.

Based on the supply contract, they will have to circulate 18 hours a day, without passengers, until they complete 5,000 km in daily traffic conditions.

As part of the drive to introduce eco-friendly public transport, a second electric bus, which will be tested in Athens with passengers on board, was delivered to Attica's bus and trolley bus operator, OSY on Friday. As of Saturday and for two months, the Solaris Urbino 12 Electric demo bus will transport passengers free of charge between Pangrati and Kypseli.

The rule obliging passengers to enter buses and trolleys from the front door has been suspended by the Athens Urban Transport Organization (OASA) at the request of workers as part of the effort to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

More than 130 bus and trolley-bus services are being canceled each day due to aging fleets and a lack of financial resources, causing further disruption for commuters, according to the latest data. 

Ticket revenues from buses in the Greek capital surged by up to 25 percent in the past month after the state-run operator clamped down on free riders by only letting passengers get on at the front.

Greek public transport operator OASA previously estimated that one in three bus passengers sneaked in through the back doors and dodged the few inspectors on duty.

While around half of the capital's aging bus fleet languishes in depots across the city, the Athens Urban Transport Organization (OASA) is planning to use 30 million euros in funds from the Attica Regional Authority for the purchase of another 92 state-of-the-art buses, including 12 electric ones, that will meet EURO VI emission standards.

Public transport companies in the Greek capital are hoping that the approval of a long-awaited electronic ticketing system will help restore their finances to good health as it is expected to combat fare dodging, which is estimated to have led to the firms missing out on between 40 and 60 million euros each year.

Cleaners employed by Athens bus and trolley bus operator OSY were prevented by police from approaching Maximos Mansion, the office of the prime minister, on Thursday.

The cleaning staff held a demonstration in central Athens to protest six months of unpaid wages. 

Staff shortages combined with Athens's growing number of inoperable or dilapidated buses and trolley buses have led to a reduction of some 24 percent in services over the past three years, according to officials at OSY, the authority responsible for the operation of the two means of public transport in the capital.

The Greek capital's blue buses and trolley buses are in a dire condition. This is reflected in the sorry state of the fleet and the scarcity of services. It is also confirmed by the data provided by OSY, the public company responsible for running buses and trolley buses.