A lack of government planning and coordination is resulting in state utilities launching projects without the required licenses and sometimes even digging up roads where works have already been carried out, municipal authorities have told Kathimerini.

“It happens all the time,” said the deputy mayor of Nea Ionia, Nikos Dakoutros. “Although we inform utilities and natural gas firms when we plan to start road work, so we can coordinate our activities, they do not let us know, and so the same roads get dug up again and again.”

According to municipal sources, often simple notification is enough to permit the launch of utilities work, while many projects are described as “urgent repairs” to bypass the license application.

There are some 2,500 potholes on Athens roads. Municipal authorities say they repaired 25,000 last year.