Greek police arrested four taxi drivers in the Athens region on Monday after catching them charging passengers well above the legal fare, including on trips to and from the port of Lavrio.
The drivers, aged 32, 37, 57 and 60, were detained on the morning of July 6 during targeted checks by the Attica Traffic Police, part of a wider effort to crack down on abuses by professional drivers, according to a police statement.
In the most striking cases, three of the men were accused of charging 200 euros for the round trip between Lavrio port and the Acropolis, the ancient citadel that is Athens’ most visited landmark. The legal fare for that journey is 150 euros.
A fourth driver was accused of charging 12 euros for a far shorter ride, from the center of Lavrio to the town’s port, a distance of about 1.5 kilometers. The regulated fare for that trip is 4 euros, meaning he collected three times the permitted amount.
All four now face charges of collecting a fare higher than the legal limit, police said. They were also issued administrative fines.
The Attica Traffic Police said the checks would continue, with the stated aim of strengthening the public’s sense of safety while traveling.
