Plan for construction of Athens new Intercity Buses Terminal revived

The plan of creating a modern intercity bus terminal for the Greek capital of Athens revives once again. According to information on ypodomes.com, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is currently developing an implementation plan based on the available study carried out by NTUA.

Based on a well-informed source there will be a need for a rationalization of the project’s budget, which is estimated at 200m euros, while the Ministry’s calculations find that an amount close to 100m euros is enough.

Currently, the main scenario for the new terminal in Eleonas, that will abolish the two existing facilities in Kifissos and Liossion Ave. is due to be tendered by the end of the year.

Τhe contracting authority of the project will be Attiko Metro, which is also the owner of the property. The same sources add that it will be a concession tender for a period of more than 25 years.

As it is pointed out, this is a classic case of a fully fundable project and a major commercial concession project. The important thing here is that there is no need for NSRF funds, which would make it very complicated both regarding the model’s approval as well as its implementation.

The basic requirement before the launch of the tendering process is the environmental licensing of the study. According to information of ypodomes.com, it has already been submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Energy for licensing from 2019 and, if everything goes as expected, it should be approved in the coming months.

A new major transportation entry point

Kifissos and Liossion Avenue stations that currently serve the capital, accommodate a total of 49 lines and manage a daily load ranging from 24,000 to 44,000 passengers.

With its operation, the new project will relieve the areas that housed the old terminals for decades, while it will also upgrade significantly the degraded area of Eleonas. The new intercity buses terminal will resemble an airport terminal and it will be extending over an area of 26,000 sq.m.

It will include open green spaces, commercial and parking spaces. It is noted that it will be a transportation hub that will be accepting buses not only from across the country but also international bus lines. It is expected that the annual traffic will reach 16m passengers. Indicative of the traffic’s magnitude, is a comparison with Athens International Airport, which in 2019 transported 25.5m passengers.

The new terminal will be connected to «Eleonas» Metro Station, urban bus lines and there will be a specially designed taxi rank. With the operation of the intercity buses terminal, Athens will have completed all of its major transport entry gates and will have obtained a terminal of modern european standards.

It is reminded that Athens has been struggling to construct a modern terminal since the preparation period of Athens Olympics, but to date, this has not been made possible.

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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Yoo Chung