HATTA Blasts New Transport Bill

The Hellenic Association of Travel and Tourist Agencies (HATTA) recently criticized provisions of a draft law drawn up by the Transport, Infrastructure and Networks Ministry that “ridicules Greek society and Greek tourism.”

In an announcement, the association said the bill shields the KTEL intercity buses that engage in unfair competition at the expense of tourism businesses.

HATTA also criticized the ministry’s decision to handout 45 million euros from the Public Investment Program to replace local and long distance KTEL buses.

According to press reports, the ministry said the 45 million euros was an “amendment” to cover subsidies owed to KTEL bus drivers since 2001.

The ministry told the press it would soon release a study demanded by Greece’s creditors that aims to implement the EU Regulation 1370/2007 that foresees the launch of tenders for public service bus routes.

The KTEL intercity buses currently belong to a “closed profession” by Law 3534/2007 that extends their monopoly until 2019. For years tourism professionals have pressured for the KTEL bus monopoly on long distance bus lines to be lifted before 2019.