Authorities are changing attitudes towards behaviours that burden the day-to-day operation of public transport instruments, now providing for much stricter sanctions.
The upgrading of the Public Transport Means has now been under way, as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport attempts to change the daily image of urban transport. The aim is not only to add more vehicles and trains to the network, but create a more reliable, clean and human travel environment; so that more and more citizens leave the car and choose the means for their daily trips.
This includes the addition of 1,076 new buses, which are expected to be available to passengers in June, with the prospect of the number of new buses reaching 1,700 by 2028. At the same time, reinforcement of HSAP Line 1 is envisaged with additional trains, so that the transit frequency is reduced from 9 to 5 minutes, while a corresponding effort is made in the Metro, where trains have reached 52, with the aim of increasing to 60 in the following period.
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Interventions are also routed to the Suburban, with the aim of improving the frequency of routes and the overall upgrading of service. But together with investment in vehicles, trains and infrastructure, a stricter framework for the protection of public property comes, since it is not only to add new buses and trains, but to stay in good condition and not end up, within a few months, with damage, damage and an image of abandonment.
In this context, Law 5290/2026, published in the ECJ A’ 47/30-03-2026, Article 24 provides that: strict penalties for damage to things that serve the operation of public transport operators.
In particular, where the deterioration concerns instruments or infrastructure used for public passenger rail and road transport, the financial penalty can range from 10,000 to 40,000 euros. In fact, no one stays in the unscathed, as according to what Deputy Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis has said, the new framework concerns both adults and minors.
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The fine concerns cases such as damage to trains, buses, stations or other equipment serving the operation of public transport. Actions such as the creation of graffiti on trains are included in the same category.
It is also notable that for the first time it is planned and the possibility of providing a public service to the damaged entity instead of a financial penalty. In simple terms, the offender may be called upon to offer work to the same injured entity, giving to the measure a more immediate restoration character.
However, it is worth noting that in a recent interview with the Deputy Minister of Transport, he said that the incidents of damage to public transport have decreased significantly, As of about 3,000 incidents last year, around 300 are recorded this year.
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This is a 90% drop, which, according to him, is due to largely police and program «Ariadne», the operational plan of the Greek Police for the prevention and repression of violations in MMMs. The plan includes targeted patrols and checks by police within trains and stations, on Metro, ISAP, Tram, Suburban and bus.
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