Aging bus fleets compounding commuter woes
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.
Tellingly, the lack of resources has made it difficult for Attica’s bus and trolley-bus operator, OSY, to supply buses with the necessary spare parts and retain an adequate number of drivers and other personnel.
Moreover, the capital’s frequently congested roads have further compounded the problem – as it only takes a demonstration, an accident or a heavy downpour to cause mayhem on bus routes.
Official estimates suggest that the volume of transport services provided by OSY has been reduced by 35-37 percent over the last five years.
In addition, commuters are also dogged by faulty telematic screens at bus and trolley-bus stops. A key problem is the disruption caused when a service is canceled. In such cases, the screens are not updated nor do they indicate what time the next bus or trolley-bus will arrive.
The average age of OSY’s buses and trolley-buses is 13-14 years. The oldest of the vehicles on the road today was acquired in 1993 and the newest in 2011.
