Probe launched into causes of ferry delays
With thousands expected to head to the country’s ports this weekend to take advantage of the public holiday on Monday, a Piraeus prosecutor ordered an investigation yesterday into the reasons behind a series of recent delays in ferry departure times that have left thousands of travelers high and dry this summer. Government sources said that the investigation will focus on five points including which ships had the problems, why they were delayed and who the vessels are owned by. The prosecutor has also asked for information on who approved the seaworthiness of the vessels which continually suffer from technical problems. The Merchant Marine Ministry has been frantically looking for ways to solve the problems that have been dogging Greece’s ports this summer. Delays of many hours along with the failure to inform passengers of the setbacks have been widely covered by the media, which have described the sector as going through a crisis. Yesterday, ferry operators met with port authorities to examine how to minimize similar problems this weekend given the extra traffic expected.
