The goal of launching in the summer the Cyprus-Greece ferry connection, that is in May or June 2021, the, is absolutely achievable, said Deputy Minister of Shipping Vassilis Dimitriadis, speaking to "Entrepreneurial Limassol". Following pre-approval from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Competition, an open tender for the selection of the line operator is expected to be announced in this month. The only pending issue remains the approval by Parliament of the state budget, which has included an amount of 4 million euro for 2021. "We are ready, the next day to go out with offers," Mr. Dimitriadis told " Entrepreneurial Limassol ".
The main advantage of Limassol over Larnaca as suggested by Vassilis Dimitriadis is the duration of the trip to Piraeus and consequently, the financial cost of the trip from Limassol will be lower. In addition, the port of Limassol has appropriate infrastructure with a modern passenger terminal. The journey will take almost 25 hours. Fares, excluding port charges, will amount to €50 for one-way and €80 for return, while these will increase to €80 for one-way with cabin use and €120 for return. Children up to 24 months will travel for free, while children from 2 to 12 years will be subject to reduced fares. Vehicles will cost 75 euros for one-way and 150 for return, while passenger motorcycles will cost 50 euro for one-way and 100 for return. The port fees will increase by 15 to 20% the cost of the trip, suggested the Deputy Minister, while the determination of the final amount is under consultation with the port of Piraeus.
