Athens bus and trolley services face major shortages in 2025

Athens' urban transport operator, OSY, reported significant service disruptions in 2025, with over 531,000 scheduled bus and trolley trips failing to take place. This represents nearly one in every six planned services.

According to OSY's performance report, driver shortages were responsible for 84% of these losses, accounting for 446,304 missed trips. The remaining 16% of cancellations were attributed to vehicle breakdowns, road closures, and strikes. Despite a 7.5% increase in the number of drivers compared to 2024, the total number of completed trips decreased by approximately 0.6%.

In addition to service cancellations, the report highlights a rise in safety and passenger concerns. Vehicle accidents increased by 12.5%, while reports of collisions rose by 32.5%. These issues occurred even as the company served approximately 8 million more passengers than the previous year, leading to overcrowding on many lines during peak hours.