Attiki Odos toll hikes halted

Attiki Odos SA, the company that manages the Attica ring road, has agreed to freeze a planned hike to toll charges until the end of the year after calling a truce with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

The ministry, in turn, has held back a bill prepared by the previous government halting the raise until the motorway's concession is re-examined.

Government sources, meanwhile, have rebuffed reports suggesting that Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis is in talks with Attiki Odos for extending its management over the motorway in exchange for a freeze on toll rate increase.

"There have been no trade-offs. We are not in any discussions for extending the contract at this point," a source close to the minister told Kathimerini. Attiki Odos declined to comment on the issue.