Public transport woes continue
After a relatively stress-free week, commuters face a fresh period of upheaval as public transport workers are planning more walkouts in protest at reforms streamlining their services, even though the changes were voted into law earlier this week.
On Friday, there will be no city buses between 11 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. and no trolley buses between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
On Monday, both bus and trolley bus workers are to walk off the job between 11 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. Those services are to resume on Tuesday, though workers on the Piraeus-Kifissia electric railway (ISAP) are planning a walkout between noon and 4 p.m. on that day.
Commuters? woes will peak on Wednesday when workers on all modes of public transport – buses, trolley buses, ISAP, the metro, tram and the suburban railway – are to join a 24-hour strike announced by the country?s two main labor unions. Next Thursday is expected to be trouble-free, though bus workers are to walk out again on Friday from 11 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
The month is to finish with more disruption as workers on all forms of public transport are to join a six-hour walkout starting at 11 a.m. on February 28.
In a related development, left-wing demonstrators, who gathered at Syntagma metro station on Friday, placed trash bags over ticket machines and urged passengers to avoid paying for their subway rides. The Communist Party-affiliated activists were protesting recent hikes in ticket prices which range between 20 and 30 percent.
