The decision to continue with KTEL’s 60 regional routes is being studied by OASA, as well as by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport after the “blocking” of OASA’s contract extension with KTEL for another year by the Court of Auditors. “There is no and will not be an interruption of routes operated by KTEL,” he assures from the OASA, which, according to information, seems to have filed a petition yesterday to cancel the decision of E.S.

The lease agreement for 60 OASA bus lines with KTEL to serve the Attica Basin and Attica regional lines (KTEL Euboia, Corinth, Thebes) was concluded in 2020 in the context of strengthening routes during the coronavirus pandemic. The current contract formally expired on October 7, which did not allow KTEL to operate routes, creating problems in passenger service.

They will not be interrupted, despite the ban of the Accounts Chamber on the renewal of the OASA contract with KTEL Evia, Corinth, Thebes.

In the past, two requests for a new one-year contract were made, but they were blocked by the Accounts Chamber for two months. The reason for the latter decision is that the reasons for the need for “direct assignment” are not well documented, since the “unpredictability” condition is not documented. Recall that Article 42 of the recently adopted bill of the Ministry of Finance determined the possibility of extending for one year from the date of expiration of their validity contracts for the provision of passenger road transport services, as well as sublease agreements concluded between OASA or OSETH, as well as the corresponding KTEL. For their part, the ministry and OASA note that the routes continue to operate as usual, as KTEL reportedly offered to provide the service free of charge for a month until the case is closed.

In 2020, the OASA deemed cooperation with KTEL “imperative” due to the coronavirus to reduce the spread of the virus. The goal then was to strengthen the OASA fleet with a total of 200 vehicles and 550 drivers, who would carry out a transport project on 60 regional lines, and to continue leasing 300 vehicles.