Transport in Athens

The increase in tolls on the capital's Attiki Odos ringroad appears to be a matter of political will, as the rise announced in June - but prevented by the previous government - was dictated by the operating company's need to secure the projected capital returns until the expiry of the concession contract in 2024.

People with mobility problems who are permanent residents of Attica will be granted special travel passes that will enable them to travel on intercity buses (KTEL) with a 50 percent discount as of Monday.

A significant proportion of ticket machines at metro and tram stations across the capital have stopped functioning over the past week, apparently because of the high temperatures.

The machines generally malfunctioned while trying to issue paper tickets and not during the renewal of existing electronic tickets.

Transport authorities have announced that charges will be waived for motorists at key tollgates to allow voters to reach their constituencies for the snap general election on Sunday while shipping firms, intercity rail services and airlines will be offering discounts.

Police have arrested a 24-year-old Afghan national believed to have killed an 18-year-old compatriot in the Athens district of Votanikos last week, it was reported on Monday.
The victim had been found with stab wounds in the middle of the street.

The clash between the Infrastructure Ministry and Attiki Odos SA, the operator of the capital's ringroad, is showing no signs of letup, as the former is suspending the toll hike planned on the highway from July 1 through a legislative act.

The Hellenic Railways Organization's operating arm Trainose is to boost services on the Athens-Thessaloniki route between Thursday and Tuesday, May 28, in a bid to help those traveling to their constituencies to vote in Sunday's local authority and European Parliament elections.

The Greek stock market is bracing for an outflow of listed companies in April, further reducing Greek and foreign investors' options on the Athens bourse. A number of companies started the exodus - which is set to peak next month - in the last week, while there doesn't appear to be any interest in new listings.

Athens urban rail transport company STASY is part of one of the six major consortiums to be short-listed for the second stage of the tender for the operation and maintenance of Jerusalem's light rail system.

Human bones were found on Thursday afternoon at a dumping ground near the KTEL intercity bus terminal in the town of Nafpaktos, western Greece, a local news website reported.

Officers cordoned off the area and collected the bones which were then sent to a forensics expert in Patra. The website did not specify who made the discovery and alerted police.