Clarifications about the trees in Exarcheion Square after the reactions of citizens and organizations are given by Helliniko Metro SA stressing that in the present phase approximately 90% of the trees located within the Existing Construction Site fences are being pruned in order to be temporarily transplanted to the nursery of the municipality of Athens

Subsequently, these trees, after receiving the appropriate cultivation care, will be transplanted by the Regeneration Company SA. in green spaces near the said square in accordance with the provisions of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the Municipality of Athens, ELLINIKO METRO S.A. and of Anaplasi SA.

In addition, according to the Memorandum of Cooperation between ELLINIKO METRO S.A., the Municipality of Athens and the company ANAPLASI S.A., it is for the first time in the construction of Metro projects in Greece, during the initial phase of starting the works, 2000 new trees will be planted in positions that will be indicated by the Municipality of Athens, in addition to those that HELLENIC METRO S.A. has an obligation to plant in accordance with the approved environmental licensing of the project in the framework of the restoration of the Square to maintain the balance.

In terms of environmental protection, the Metro is the most environmentally friendly means of transport in big cities. When it is operational, 340,000 passengers will be served daily, 53,000 fewer cars per day will be on the roads, 17,000 fewer tons of carbon dioxide per year will be released into the atmosphere, 1,216 MWh of energy will be saved daily.

HELLENIC METRO S.A. when drawing up the studies for the tendering of the works concerning the street levels, i.e. the renovations of the squares, he integrates the constructions (entrance, lift, ventilation shafts, stairs, etc.) into the original philosophy of the squares, based on the landscape design, maintaining their dominant elements, such as playgrounds, fountains, statues/busts and of course the greenery while simultaneously upgrading and modernizing all the equipment. In other words, it respects the original design and enriches it with the requirements and new data of the underground presence of a metro station. For Exarcheion Square, these terminations occupy considerably less than 10% of the square’s surface. Specifically, at the “Exarchia” station, the area of ​​the Metro facilities (stairs, elevators, ventilation shafts, etc.) will be 243.00 m2 out of the 2,984 m2 of the square.

The company also underlines that the public consultation process for the project lasted a particularly long period of eight months in total and that during this period no objection was submitted to the construction of the station in Exarchion Square