“This bill has been discussed for 12 months and has been evaluated for its quality by the competent Committee of Experts, which is made up of distinguished academic professors,” stressed the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Nikos Tachiaos, speaking to the plenary session of the Parliament.

The deputy minister emphasized that it is not an honor for those who, with a theatrical and prosecutorial style, try to monopolize their pain for the victims and the tragedy of Tempe. He rejected, as he said, “the extremes” but also the “flimsy and unaccountable complaints”, saying that both act as communicating vessels that favor the extremes, which turn and poison the Republic. Mr. Tachiaos pointed out that with the government’s initiatives, the “backlog” that prevailed for years in public works assignments is coming to an end and this is a breakthrough.

Regarding the security of the Thessaloniki metro, he said that it should be guarded and protected. It is safer than any other rail medium as it is completely different because it is not exposed to external factors as much. What happened last Saturday, was a breakdown that caused the automatic stop of traffic and the passengers did not walk on power lines, nor in ditches, nor in the dark as written. All that is required by the safety rules and protocols has been done. Regarding the cost of the Thessaloniki metro, Mr. Tahiaos said that for his baseline the contract closes at around 1.6 billion. euros and together with the extension to the Kalamaria line it will cost 3 billion. euro, there is no trebling said.

The deputy minister reported that today the mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, sent a letter to Mr. Staikoura where he asks him to “meet” the Attiko Metro for the Exarchia station, that is, not to intervene in court to defend himself against those who ask that the station not be built. These delays, said Mr. Tachiaos, they have an impact on the cost of the project – and he added, addressing the PASOK MPs, that “if you want to protect the value of the Metro, you should ‘sensit’ the mayor of Athens and decide who he wants to be with: With the few who do not want it in Exarchia metro, or with the many Athenians who want the metro and need and want to live with it”.