Page 46 - O Οργανισμός Αστικών Συγκοινωνιών Θεσσαλονίκης από το 1957 μέχρι σήμερα | The Organisation of Urban Transportation of Thessaloniki from 1957 to the present day

Chapter 1
46
The role of shareholders was important from the out- set, as they would participate in the General Assembly of Shareholders, through which the Board of Directors of the Organisation would be elected. The latter would be responsible for the management, decision- and poli- cymaking of OASTH. According to the law, the Board of Directors was to have seven members, with five alternate ones.BoththeGeneralAssemblyandtheBoardofDirec- tors would be the direct bodies of OASTH.
Although under the new legislative framework OASTH would be a private company, its non-profit character meant that the State would also be directly involved. Conse- quently, State supervision of the Organisation would be significant through the pertinent Ministry of Transport and Public Works, while a local committee would also op- erate as a supervisor. The Greek State would also check the OASTH’s expenses and revenues each year, thus de- termining the ticket prices, which would have to be at a level that would cover the Organisation’s operating costs. If the revenue from fares was insufficient to cover the expenses, the State would then be required to pay the OASTH a compensatory payment and the correspond- ing difference. In this context, shareholders would not suf fer any loss or pay towards any deficits.
Furthermore, under this law, the State was required to is- sue operating regulations governing various issues relating to organisation, services, personnel, and equipment. These regulations played an important role, as they would create a favourable and friendly working and safety environment
for employees. These regulations were constantly under ne- gotiation in the years that followed, as a result of a dynam- ic process that took into account the conditions of each pe- riod and the people’s demands.
Law 3721/ 1957 of ficially abolished the tramways, the operation of which had recently become problematic an- yway. However, former employees were given the op- portunitytojointheOASTHaftercompletingtheneces- sary training and obtaining a professional license. Those tram workers who did not wish to join the OASTH were of fered retirement.
Thus, with the official abolition of trams, the newly established OASTH would be the sole provider of urban transport in Thessaloniki, with thermal (i.e. diesel) or elec- tric buses (trolleybuses). The Organisation was obliged to replace the former private buses that had been incorpo- rated into its fleet with new ones. Indeed, by 1963, all οld buses had been replaced. Although there was a plan to acquire trolleybuses, this was never implemented. Large 11-metre buses were purchased for the OASTH fleet, while 8-metre buses, which were more manoeuvrable and had a smaller capacity, were used in Ano Poli, which was char- acterised by narrow, uphill streets. The buses had to be replaced every 12-15 years.
The OASTH service area would be within a 10-kilome- tre radius from the White Tower. The frequency of bus routes was also determined. The Organisation would be solely responsible for merging, abolishing or creating new lines, as well as for the stops along each line’s route.