On Friday (12/22), the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, held a meeting with the owners of companies that have snow plows and project machinery, as well as with representatives of the Region of Attica and the Unified Business and Crisis Management Coordination Center (ESKEDIK) , in the presence of the Deputy Minister of the Communist Party of Greece, Evangelos Tournas and the General Secretary of Civil Protection, Vassilis Papageorgiou.

The subject of the meeting is the availability of machinery and the coordination required in case of heavy snowfall in the Attica basin.

After the conclusion of the meeting, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias stated:

“Happy birthday everyone. I wish all Greeks health, happiness, and to spend together with our families in the best possible way these holy days of holidays, Christmas and New Year.

The meeting we had today with those companies that are on the Register – or not on the Register – and have machines, snow removal machines, machines like Bobguard, machines that do earthworks and auxiliary, in a possible emergency situation, was very interesting. such as bad weather with heavy snowfall, in this case in Attica.

We believe in prevention and we proved it this year with the Bill we brought and passed in Parliament.

We informed the owners of the companies about the Register of Contractors. Everyone is now required to register all their machines, availability, maintenance, drivers in the Registry. They have told us about individual problems they are having, which have to do with the licensing part and which I will speak to the Department of Transport about. So there is a planning before the phenomenon.

Secondly, I repeat, the responsibilities are in the Region – primarily – and in the Municipalities. We make it possible to have a better coordination and therefore, to know in advance how many machines we have and in a heavy snowfall in Attica how many machines are required. What is required for the concessionaires of the highways – the relevant meeting has already been held and it has been arranged, what is required for the central roads, as Kifisias is here in front, Pentelis a little further and so on. This is the responsibility of the District and we are trying to coordinate and regulate it. I remind you that there is no tender at the moment, so it will be done by the Register of contractors.

Even if, as Civil Protection, we consider that this does not protect the interests of our fellow citizens, then, I assure you, we will go to close roads as a precaution. Possibly on those days in which there will be heavy snowfall, schools will have to be closed, there will be teleworking and shift work, so that there are not hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the roads of Attica, in order for the snow plows and the construction machinery to do the their work. First on the main roads and then by Municipality on the district roads, so that we can restore the capital to its rhythm as quickly as possible.

First of all, the movement of heavy vehicles will be prohibited. And we have also asked the Traffic Police to be all here, at ESKEDIK, so that there is coordination regarding which roads are closed, if the National Highway is closed, the tolls, the concessionaires, so that we do not see the phenomena and problems of the past.

I think that one cannot predict one hundred percent the natural phenomena but, as I told you, the Government is determined to act proactively, to inform and push in the right direction all those who are responsible. In any case, I repeat, we do not want the citizens to suffer and we certainly do not want them to be in danger and have problems. That’s why all these meetings are held, and that’s why the on-site autopsies at the points where we think a problem may arise. This is the way we will move. Thank you very much”.