Compensation to ferry companies for mandatory discounts is provided for in modernization included in a bill by the Ministry of Development.
The topology, at the initiative of Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Vassilis Kikilias and a decision by the Prime Minister, meets a long-standing demand of the shipping market.
This regulation introduces a mechanism for compensating ferry operators for the mandatory discounts they provide to special categories of passengers, based on existing legislative provisions, with the aim of containing ticket prices in an environment of increased operating costs.
This need is intensifying at a time when operators are facing increased pressures, mainly due to rising shipping fuel prices as a result of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
As specified in the amendment, the compensation concerns companies operating in maritime cabotage and applying mandatory discount schemes, while a joint ministerial decision will specify the terms, conditions and procedure for payment of the aid, as well as any relevant technical details.
This intervention is part of a broader grid of measures to support coastal shipping, with the main objective of maintaining the viability of routes and protecting passengers from further increases in insurance rates, in an environment of increased energy and geopolitical instability.
