Tuesday stoppages on electric railway and trolley buses
Commuters face another difficult day in Athens on Tuesday due to work stoppages by employees on the Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway and the trolley buses.
The electric railway (ISAP) will not be running between noon and 4 p.m., while the trolley buses will be out of action from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The action is just a foretaste of the complications that will be caused by Wednesday?s general strike when some forms of public transport will suspend their services. Buses, trolley buses and the Proastiakos suburban railway will not run at all.
A spokeswoman for Attiko Metro, the firm which runs the capital’s metro service, said the metro will operate normally on Wednesday except for the section between Doukissis Plakentias station and Athens International Airport which will be affected by the railway workers’ strike. ISAP will be running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to allow citizens to attend protest rallies in the center. The tram will run from 6 a.m. to midnight.
The strike will affect inter-city trains and flights. Air traffic controllers are staging a work stoppage between noon and 4 p.m. Anyone travelling on Wednesday is advised to contact their airline in advance.
The general strike will lead to the public sector, including tax offices and municipalities, shutting down. Doctors, lawyers and teachers will also be on strike. Pharmacies will be closed. Gas stations will also shut down for the day.
Some traders? association have also decided that shops should close at least for several hours on Wednesday as a sign of support for those protesting against the government?s austerity measures.
The strike is being organized by public sector union ADEDY, and GSEE of the private sector. They have agreed for a rally to be held at Pedion tou Areos park at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, which will be followed by a march to Parliament.
The combination of the public transport strikes and city center protest is expected to cause major problems on Athenian roads.
