On the initiative of the Head of Infrastructure & Transport, Shipping & Island Policy of SYRIZA-PS and Member of Parliament for Magnesia, Alexandros Meikopoulos, 13 SYRIZA-PS MPs brought to Parliament the serious issue of increases in freight vehicle tolls by the Attica Group, just a few weeks after the government's legislative regulation to reduce port fees in favor of shipping companies.
«The reduction in port fees, which was presented by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Shipping as a tool to keep ferry prices down, ended up being yet another «gift» to large companies, with no reciprocal benefit for citizens. Despite the government's rhetoric about easing transport costs, reality has proven Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Kikilias wrong. In a letter dated May 8, Attica Group announced increases of more than 12% in freight vehicle fares on a number of island routes, including Paros, Naxos, Santorini, Rhodes, and other islands in the Cyclades and Dodecanese. These increases, supposedly due to changes in fuel type, are unjustified, as international fuel prices have fallen significantly, while the new fuels are not even used on all ships.
These increases are directly passed on to product prices on the islands, burdening households and businesses and undermining the island economy. Furthermore, they deprive public port authorities of valuable resources, creating a sustainability problem for already overburdened port infrastructure.», the MPs stated in their parliamentary intervention.
The question asks the Minister of Shipping to provide clear answers to the following critical questions:
- Is he aware of the increases in freight rates for trucks operated by the largest shipping group, despite the favorable provisions for shipping companies that he himself introduced by reducing port fees?;
- What measures will it take to cancel the forthcoming increases in freight charges for trucks, given that these will lead to increases in the prices of products on the islands?;
The full text of the question is as follows:
QUESTION
To the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy
Subject: Prime Minister and Minister of Shipping exposed by increases in freight vehicle fares in coastal shipping
Not long ago, the Greek Parliament passed a bill proposed by the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, reducing port fees in public ports by 50%.
In this way, it was assumed that the government would appease the shipowners so that they would not proceed with increases in ticket prices for passengers and vehicles.
From the outset, SYRIZA-PS pointed out that this measure deprives public port authorities, especially on the islands, significant resources for infrastructure maintenance, giving shipowners millions of euros without requiring them to keep ticket prices low.
On May 8, the largest shipping group, Attica Group, sent a letter to port users and other stakeholders announced increases in freight vehicle fares due, as it states, to the implementation of new European legislation, which requires it to change the type of fuel used on all ships.
According to the same letter, the increases concern routes serving the destinations of Syros, Tinos, Paros, Naxos, the Small Cyclades, Ios, Santorini, Anafi, Patmos, Lipsi, Leros, Kos, Nisyros, Kalymnos, Astypalaia, Karpathos, Kasos, Rhodes, Symi, Tilos, Kastelorizo, and Chalki.
So, despite the fact that the government has gifted millions of euros to shipping companies by reducing fees by 50%, not only for passengers but also for vehicles/ships, creating a sustainability problem in public ports, prices for trucks are increasing.
This increase is also completely unjustified, as international fuel prices have fallen significantly, while new fuels are not used in all types of ships.
It should be noted that the increase in truck tolls increases the cost of transporting goods, with these increases being passed on to the retail prices of products and ultimately burdening end consumers.
The supposed restraint in passenger ticket prices does not really affect, or even affect at all, in some cases, to islanders, firstly because they may not need to travel and secondly because the transport allowance payments offset the cost of transport (provided that the payments are made on time and not with years of delay, for which the New Democracy government is responsible).
However, increases in the cost of transporting goods via vehicle freight rates directly affect them, because they will encounter these increases every day in their transactions and they will reduce their income.
The issue has caused considerable unrest in local communities. The Rhodes Trade Association has issued a statement strongly protesting the increases, which range above 12%, pointing out that they will lead to a further increase in product prices and calling on the competent authorities to intervene to cancel the impending increase.
Following these developments, it is clear that the credibility of not only the relevant minister, Mr. Kikilias, but also Prime Minister Mitsotakis, who until yesterday were celebrating the supposed restraint in ferry ticket prices, is now in question.
After «emptying» the coffers of public port management bodies with a 50% reduction in port fees in favor of shipping companies, supposedly to keep down the cost of coastal transport, now the companies themselves are blatantly ignoring it, proceeding with new increases in freight rates.
In view of the above,
The Minister is asked:
- Is he aware of the increases in freight rates for trucks operated by the largest shipping group, despite the favorable provisions for shipping companies that he himself introduced by reducing port fees?;
- What measures will it take to cancel the forthcoming increases in freight charges for trucks, given that these will lead to increases in the prices of products on the islands?;
The Questioning Members of Parliament
Meikopoulos Alexandros
Dionysis Kalamatianos
Vetta Kalliopi
Gavrilos George
Dourou Irini
Zamparas Milto
Mamoulakis Charalambos
Barkas Konstantinos
Panagiotopoulos Andreas
Papailiou George
Papas Nikolaos
Tsapanidou Popi
Psychogios George
