Maritime and Island Policy Minister Vassilis Kikilias visited the port of Piraeus on Wednesday, as traffic through the port picked up ahead of the Easter holidays.
Kikilias stressed that safety was a top priority, announcing that an additional 50 coast guard officers will be stationed at the port of Piraeus, asking everyone to bear in mind that the Coast Guard and all staff at the shipping ministry were there to serve passengers with respect and esteem.
He also stressed that all sides must strictly observe the safety rules, noting that safety and order must prevail at the port of Piraeus but also the other ports of the country.
Referring to the issue of port fees, Kikilias said that a 50% reduction will apply at all ports in the country from May 1st, including for concessionaires, and that this will directly affect ferry tickets, with prices holding steady or even dropping, when ferry lines had already announced increases from May 1.
"I have the feeling that this is no longer going to happen, after the significant move made by the government and the drop in the price of oil by 8%," he emphasised, adding that more announcements will be made during the coming weeks and months, such as for example on high-speed boats. "Since the fuel is not changing and this is an important part of the market, we expect to see and we will see better prices and significant discounts to support the Greek family and Greek society," he said.
According to market sources, ferry bookings are at about the same levels as last year. From Wednesday until Good Friday, occupancy on most routes to the Cyclades is approaching 100%, while for the North Aegean islands, Crete and the Dodecanese it is approximately 60%.
A total of 16 ferries carrying 16,568 passengers are expected to depart from Piraeus port on Holy Wednesday. Seven ferries will depart from the port of Rafina with at least 5,800 passengers, while six ferries are scheduled to depart from Lavrio with 1,280 passengers.