With the new massive layoffs by the French Vinci at Korinthos-Patra as a background, 70 workers in one month, the Pan-Hellenic Committee
of the Fight Against Tolls is opposing «the blackmail from companies that have turned the roads into landfills of drivers and workers» and asks for the elimination of the colonial-style contracts and tolls.
«The roads have already been paid for in gold»
«The roads are public property and have already been paid for in gold by the citizens. They are not a pool of money for the predatory ventures» says the Committee, and notes that the French are preparing to lay off 2.000 workers.
The bars will be lifted along the entire road network at midday on Sunday and for the first time there will be a coordinated attempt to pass through the Attiki Odos tolls without paying.
Even though the project has been finished since the beginning of 2000, representatives of the movement are against the tolls based on the argument that the constructors have been repaid.
As they claim, this modern highway was built to be repaid in 30yrs but the traffic has surpassed any expectations, and thus they think that constructors and banks have gotten their money back.
However, the first successful contract that whetted the contractors' and the government's appetites for copying the construction and operation model, has already been damaged by the reduction of traffic and according to its executives is showing an income drop of over 5%.
Inability to plan
Yesterday, however, Reppas seemed clearly annoyed by the expnasion of the «I Am Not Paying» movement. As he said, «we are preparing a legislative initiative to deal with this problem that has been manifested by groups which are inspired by this antisocial perception of the deadhead, both in urban transport and tolls».
He said that planning to impose tolls in roads that are not ready yet is a weakness on the part of the state, but added that reactions are expanding into roads such as Egnatia Odos, which was built 10 years ago but has no resources to support its maintenance as the toll construction has been dramatically delayed.
«Who is going to cover the repayment or the construction maintenance, which demands tens of millions each year? For the roads still under construction, we must not burden the driver who is in danger and suffering. But in large sections of these highways already open to traffic, the toll must be paid» the minister said.
source: PROTO THEMA
