The basic line in Thesssaloniki's metro will be turned over to use on November 3o, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Staikouras reiterated on Tuesday, while he added that ticket prices will be announced in 7-10 days. The new tickets have already been ordered and will be valid both on the metro and the Thessaloniki buses as well, he added.

Staikouras was responding to a question on the metro's construction timetable at the two-day Southeast Europe Connectivity Forum II that opened in Thessaloniki on Tuesday. The timetable still holds, he said, revealing that "I have already invited my fellow transport ministers of the European Union to attend the two-day inauguration events of the basic metro line in Thessaloniki. The scheduling is precise, and on November 30 this asset will be turned over to the citizens of Macedonia."

Also being worked on is the new transportation map of Thessaloniki, so that mass transport means complement each other, he noted. 

The metro extension to Kalamaria - which will add five stations to the metro - will be completed by the end of 2025, while negotiations for the urban train of western Thessaloniki are moving along, he said, describing the project as "significant" and serving a large part of the western metropolitan area where active population has increased significantly.

Staikouras noted that the government and the ministry are doing their best to keep the timetable of promised projects in Thessaloniki. In this context, one-third of the urban bus fleet has been renewed with electric buses. Unlike Athens, significant hirings of bus drivers have taken place in Thessaloniki, "so that more buses can be out on the city streets," the minister said. 

In terms of the FlyOver, he acknowledged the help of the private sector "in order to jointly overcome as much as we can most of the problems that arise every time during the implementation of public works." He added that "we are at a much better place than we were a few months ago," while he said the state and everyone involved could accelerate ongoing projects even further.

The Southeast Europe Connectivity Forum II is organized by Tsomokos Communications, with the Thessaloniki Port Authority SA as strategic partner.

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Transport Min Staikouras visits FlyOver project site in Thessaloniki