Tram workers furious at removal of ticket machines

News that Athens transport authorities have transferred more than half of the ticket issuing machines on the capital's tram routes to metro and electric railway stations around the city to meet increased demand on the latter modes of transport has prompted an angry reaction by tram workers.

Commenting Wednesday on the relocation of 26 of the tram's 48 automatic ticket machines, the union of tram workers referred to "bad coordination" and "foot-dragging to the point of gross negligence," in an apparent dig at both STASY, the operator of Athens's fixed-track public transport system, and the Athens Urban Transport Organization (OASA).

A key problem appears to be that OASA's original plan was for all the old ticket issuing machines at metro stations to be upgraded for the new electronic tickets. However, a large proportion of the machines are too old to support such an...