Despite the long-awaited Thessaloniki Metro in Greece anticipated to open to the public on November 30, after 18 years of construction further delays have been caused by the ticketing system.
The delays come after officials failed to complete procurement procedures for ticket rolls on time, raising concerns that the metro could begin operations without tickets.
To avoid complications, officials attempted to utilise an existing contract from February 2021 for bus tickets and smart passes to secure 2.7 million paper tickets and 100,000 plastic cards.
Although since appealed, the Greece Court of Audit determined that a new contract must be established through a competitive bidding process due to the significant volume of the order.
Irregardless of the appeal’s approval, the ticket manufacturing company may not be able to make the necessary adjustments in time for the launch.
Source: Ekathimerini.
