Tollway CEO resigns, day after hundreds of vehicles stranded due to heavy snow

The first “victim” of Monday’s stranding of more than 1,000 vehicles on the snow-covered Attiki Odos tollway, a major thoroughfare in the greater Athens area, came a day later, on Tuesday, with the CEO and long-standing board member of the concessionaire company, Vassilios Halkias, tendering his resignation.

The board of the Attikes Diadromes S.A., which also manages the tollway, accepted the resignation and thanked Halkias for his contribution. The latter had been with the company since the highway opened in 1999.

The company offered an apology on Tuesday and accepted a demand by the government that it pay 2,000 euros in compensation for each vehicle stranded, some for nearly 24 hours.

The snow storm was sudden and intense on Monday, commencing just before noon, but forecast by meteorologists days before. Up to half a meter of snowfall was measured in certain parts of the greater Athens area.

The managing company has the obligation, under the concession contract, to maintain the roadway in good working order, even in the face of extreme weather conditions.