Toll Hikes Anger Commuters, Raise Suspicions!

Diodia stin Ellada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tolls increased on the Athens-Lamia motorway as of midnight on Wednesday. As such, automobiles will be charged 60 percent higher tolls at Afidnes, since the fee increased from 2.10 Euros to 3.35 Euros. Drivers are also now forced to pay almost one Euro more at the Kapandriti tolls, or 2.05 Euros from the current 1.20 Euros.

At Malakasa tolls increased by 55 cents, and drivers now have to pay 1.45 Euros from the current 90 cents, while the fee at the Inofyta tollgate went up by 25 cents. The fee at the Thebes tollgate also rose by about 50 percent, and drivers there are now obligated to pay 3.95 Euros from 2.55 Euros.

Parallel to this, toll increases on Nea Odos are going to begin a new discount policy for frequent users at the stations of Afidnes, Kapandriti, Malakasa and Inofyta.

The hikes, which are quite high have not been received well across the country and for good reason. When compared to other European roads Greek road systems do not offer drivers the same services and/or quality. Besides, tolls in other EU member states are cheaper!

A document with figures concerning road toll revenues since 2008 was forwarded to parliament on Wednesday by Infrastructure, Transport & Networks Minister Mihalis Chryssohoidis. According to the document, in response to relevant questions tabled by independent MP Nikos Nikolopoulos, road toll revenues from 2008 until October 2013 amounted to 1.3 billion Euros.

Chryssohoidis -who we all know is the number one promoter of the mega construction firms that own the roads- actually had the audacity to say that the average cost in Greece and Spain is among the lowest (roughly 7 million USD per kilometer or roughly 5.5 million euros per kilometer).

What he failed to mention of course, is that the salaries and present economic state of Greece does not compare to that of other EU member states. But then again what did you expect from this PASOK MP, who once openly admitted on live television that he did not bother to read the Memorandum.