The ‘Vitsentzos Kornaros’, the ship serving the
Piraeus-Kythira, Antikythira and Kissamos route will remain in port until June
30 due to mechanical failure, Greek ferry operator LANE Lines announced this
week.
The ferry boat was expected to operate its weekly
routes starting on June 2 after a month out of service but the operating
company said it will now be transferred to the Perama shipyards for repair.
The issue has spurred the reaction of Kythera locals
with the mayor of the island, Efstatios Harhalakis, expressing his discontent
in a letter to the shipping minister.
“June is almost over marking a 10 percent drop in the
number of arrivals compared to last year, which is almost exclusively due to
the cancelation of itineraries by the ‘Vitsentzos Kornaros’,” the mayor said,
adding that the islands of Kythira and Antikythera are experiencing isolation
significantly impacting local tourism.
Harhalakis is calling on the ministry to put pressure
on shipowner LANE Lines to charter another ship which will operate the
Piraeus-Kythira-Souda route, noting that according to the agreement, LANE is
obliged to replace the ferry with a similar capacity vessel.
news.gtp.gr
