Salamina: dispute over ferry fares

The dispute over fares on the Salamina–Perama ferry route is escalating. The Consortium of Salamina’s passenger-vehicle ferries issued a statement on Wednesday, August 12, announcing that it had decided on “the across-the-board maintenance of passenger ticket prices, with no additional increase to the full fare.” The statement came after a citizens’ mobilisation and letters of complaint. The issue has occupied the island for weeks. It concerns the Perama–Salamina and Salamina–Megarida routes.

In the same statement, the Consortium says it provides the mandatory state discounts. These include discounts for large families, disabled people and students. It also states that it provides commercial discounts for vulnerable groups, both for passengers themselves and for their vehicles. As justification for the cost pressures, it cites rising fuel prices and increased vessel operating costs. Finally, it states that it is cooperating with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy on the sustainability of the ferry sector.

The statement did not close the matter. Manos Dertouzos responded the same day with a piece titled “Municipal authority and opposition, in perfect agreement, stay silent.” The criticism targets local political bodies over their stance on the issue. The citizens’ mobilisation, according to the same source, was what led to the Consortium’s statement. The cost of transport is a critical issue for Salamina, since the island is served exclusively by ferries.

The Salamina Party Organisation of the KKE also intervened, with a press release on Wednesday, August 12. It speaks of “recent repeated increases in fares on the island’s ferries.” Its demands are a 50% reduction in ticket prices and vehicle fares. It also calls for free travel for unemployed people and their families, for pupils and students, as well as, specifically for this route, for conscripts. The latter is linked to the presence of military installations in the area.

The same statement calls for the repeal of European Union regulation 3577/92 and law 2932/2001 on the liberalisation of coastal shipping. It further calls for “the fixed-link project for Salamina to finally go ahead, without tolls.” The project for a fixed connection between the island and mainland Attica has been discussed for decades. The position stated is that as long as the routes remain in private hands, “they will serve their own competitiveness and profitability and will not be able to be modern, safe, cheap.” The statement fits into the party’s broader position on coastal shipping.

On August 10, an earlier statement from Nea Aristera Piraeus had been issued, titled “Profiteering on the Salamina–Perama ferry route must stop now.” The issue has therefore also taken on a party-political dimension. Salamina has a permanent population of tens of thousands, many of whom commute daily to Attica for work. The cost of the ticket directly affects household income. For this reason, every price adjustment provokes strong reactions.

Attica Today will follow developments and any intervention by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs. No meeting of the parties involved has been announced. More from Piraeus and the islands on the Piraeus page. The routes are operating normally, with increased traffic due to the season. Passengers are urged to allow extra time for their journeys.