Tram to woo beach lovers
In an attempt to entice Athenians into riding on the city’s underused one-year-old tram, its operators are offering passengers a discount of up to 50 percent at two local pay beaches if they get there using the beachside public transport service. The operators, Tram SA, said yesterday that passengers can qualify for discounts on the entry price at beaches in Alimos and Glyfada up until July 7. The move is the latest in a series of promotional attempts to boost interest in the flagging transport service. The 380-million-euro tram network, rushed to be complete in time for the Olympic Games last summer, carries about 35,000 passengers a day. That is far short of the 80,000 passengers a day originally estimated. By showing their validated tram ticket at the entrance, passengers can enter the Alimos beach for 3 instead of 5 euros on weekdays and the Glyfada beach for 3 instead of the regular 6 euros. A one-month scheme offering tram riders free week-long passes ended recently.