In Brief
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
New 1-euro ticket offers access to most Athens networks for 90 minutes A new 1-euro ticket offering commuters access to most of the city’s public transport networks for up to an hour and a half came into effect yesterday. The red-colored ticket allows passengers to use all means of transport apart from the express airport buses, the suburban and metro trains to the airport and the Saronida buses. A new 70-cent ticket, colored yellow, provides access to buses, trolley buses and the tram, also for 90 minutes. Tickets for individual networks are still available. RETURNING MIGRANTS Valid passport, residence permit will be necessary; deadline Jan. 15 Immigrants living in Greece who are planning to visit their homelands for Christmas may do so between tomorrow and January 15 without fear of being refused re-entry even if they lack a valid residence permit, the Public Order Ministry said yesterday. They must have a valid passport, the expired residence permit and a document certifying that they have applied for a new work or residence permit. The measure was seen as necessary due to the fact that many immigrants who have applied to have their residence permits renewed have yet to receive the document due to lengthy bureaucratic delays. LANDFILL DECISION Vote foreshadows Ano Liosia closure The Ano Liosia Municipal Council yesterday voted to shut down the main Athens landfill and is due to determine the date of the closure tomorrow. Residents of Ano Liosia and council members are to march to Parliament tomorrow morning to protest the decision to create a new waste-reprocessing plant at Fyli, which they claim will be a continuation of the Ano Liosia dump. Turkish violations Four formations of Turkish fighter jets yesterday violated Greek national air space in the central and northern Aegean six times. The 12 aircraft were chased off by Greek jets, and there was one simulated dogfight. Traffic disruption Athens-bound traffic will be disrupted on a 150-meter stretch of the Athens-Corinth National Road near Kakia Skala tonight and tomorrow night as works get under way. The works will be carried out between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. Works starting today on Marathonos Avenue are to disrupt outbound traffic for a stretch of around 5 kilometers near Nea Makri. The works are set to continue until December 22. Kiosks raided Three armed raids on street kiosks in different parts of Attica late on Sunday night and early yesterday morning were probably carried out by the same individual, police said. The first raid took place at about 11 p.m. on Sunday and netted 400 euros from a kiosk in Palaio Faliron, the second occurred in Voula shortly after midnight and netted 350 euros, and the third was just after 1 a.m. in Nea Erythraia when the robber made off with 4,500 euros. None of the kiosk workers were hurt in the raids. Baby-sitter sentenced An Athens misdemeanors court yesterday issued a six-month suspended jail sentence to a 32-year-old baby-sitter found guilty of abusing her 16-month-old charge. The unnamed woman was arrested on Saturday after the parents of the boy she was supposed to be minding said they had taped evidence of her beating him at their Ilion home. The baby-sitter denied the charges. Taxi strike There will be no taxis on Thursday as taxi drivers stage a nationwide 24-hour strike, demanding the right to charge higher fares and access to bus lanes. They are to stage a march through central Athens on Thursday morning. Greek bears There are between 150 and 170 brown bears living in Greek forests – chiefly on mounts Pindus, Grammos and Rodhope, the environmental group Arcturos said yesterday. The number of wolves living in Greece is estimated at between 500 and 700, it added. Arson arrest Thessaloniki police have arrested a man believed to be behind several arson attacks in the city early yesterday morning. The man, who was not identified, allegedly set fire to a car and a motorcycle before attempting to burn another motorcycle.
