NEWS

Public transport ticket revenues plummet

Public transport ticket revenues plummet

There has been a significant drop in the number of tickets and travelcards being bought by commuters in Athens, adding to the woes faced by the public transport system.

According to the union representing public transport employees, roughly 68,000 travelcards were purchased during the first two months of the year compared to some 109,000 during the same period last year, a decline of nearly 40 percent.

According to a question submitted by New Democracy to Transport Minister Christos Spirtzis in Parliament recently, revenues from ticket sales reached 37.7 million euros in the first quarter of the year against 49.2 million during the first three months of 2015, despite the fact that ticket prices went up at the beginning of the year.

The conservatives also argued that the public transport system in the Greek capital ran an operational deficit of 25.5 million euros from January to October last year, when it had produced a 3.7-million-euro surplus in the same 10-month period of 2014.

The decline in revenues from tickets is thought to be linked to an increase in fare dodging. The number of ticket checks has dropped since threats were made against inspectors and a list of their names was published online. Transport authorities are aiming to install a smart ticketing system by next year to reduce fare evasion.

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