February in Athens looks set to begin with more of the same and a touch of the new, namely a rise in public transport fares and more strikes affecting trains, metro, bus and trolley services.

The Athens metro system was shut for 24-hours on January 31 and will remain so for another full day on February 1. In addition, the surface train running from the port of Piraeus to the northern suburb of Kifissia will be closed for 48 hours from February 2 2011, Greek media reported. Buses will also stop running for two days, starting from February 1.

The new round of industrial action is scheduled to coincide with a 40 per cent rise in public transport fares in the city, starting on February 1.

The unions oppose the new bill which stipulates wide-ranging public transport reforms, including the transfer of some personnel, downsizing, closer budget monitoring and increased charges. Some reforms envisage the rescheduling of particular train services while certain unprofitable lines will be closed altogether, Dnevnik daily reported.

Until yesterday, the price of public transport in Athens was one euro, valid for 90 minutes on all modes of transport. It has been replaced by a 1.20 euro ticket for single journeys and a 1.40-euro ticket for multiple-journeys, also valid for 90 minutes, Kathimerini reported.

Greek transport minister Dimitris Reppas said that the government would carry on with its reforms to reduce the debts of the struggling public transport companies. According to Kathimerini, during a parliamentary debate on the reforms held on January 31, only ruling Pasok and Dora Bakoyannis, a former conservative foreign minister, pledged to back the measures.