Greece 2.0 just a few kilometers away from Patras: Early in the morning students are holding tight to keep balance as the tractor wheels rev up on the rough, muddy road and then uphill to civilization.
They go up and down the hill on tractor four times per day: for school and tutoring lessons.
The contractor assigned with the building of the road in the village Voudeni, 3 km away from Patras, northern Peloponnese, went broke and the project that was meant to improve the living conditions turned into an nightmare of isolation.
Children of the twenty families in Voudeni are forced to go to school and to tutoring every day by tractor, the only vehicle that can make it on this unfinished road.
Residents of the community told media on Tuesday that the village chairman informed them that the contractor who was building a road went bankrupt and so the project is “in the air”.
Despite the great patience shown by the local people, there has been no solution so far and no result of actions.
“Not even the deputy major in charge has visited us,” the locals complained.
So every day families are forced to move on uphill, muddy roads, where even cars cannot move and tractors are the only solution.
People cannot even reach to the cemetery, the removal of garbage is a huge problem.
The issues has gained publicity in all media in the country on Tuesday. Many spoke of “pictures on shame in Greece in 2022.”
PS Chances are better now for the people of Voudeni after their problem became known across the country. Or not…
I would guess that the contractor got paid in advance and the officials awarding the contract got their fakelaki so who cares about the villagers. “All the money spent and nothing actually done” is status normal across the whole of Greece at all levels. I would imagine that most people are not thinking, “Isn’t it terrible for these poor villagers” but more, “Yes but what about our … that never got finished?”
The lane leading to my house is unpaved and is designated as a public road. In winter it becomes a lake. Ten years ago I asked the council if I could pay to have it paved but they said “No, it is the responsibility of the council.” I got an official protocol with a reference number verifying that I had applied for the work to be done. I framed it, hung it above my bed and every night I pray to St Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes but so far no luck. To be fair it is flat so I can drive my car along it so it is not as bad as Voudeni.