Greek police officers will start issuing fines for traffic violations in Athens and Thessaloniki via SMS and email.
The new approach will be rolled out on a pilot basis in Greece’s two largest cities, in an effort to get rid of the antiquated paper-based approach.
Moreover, it is expected that the digitally friendly notification of traffic fines, which will be accompanied by an RF payment code, will increase the payment of fines by making it easier to pay.
In a report on MEGA TV, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, “The violation will be electronically sent in real-time to the citizen’s digital mailbox on gov.gr, utilizing interoperability and the contact information from the National Communication Registry of Citizens, while simultaneously notifying them via email and SMS about the message in their mailbox.”
Citizens interviewed by MEGA TV and asked to offer their thoughts on the new approach were generally positive, and felt that it was high time Greece started sending tickets for traffic violations via digital means, a practice that has been followed in many European countries for years.
In Greece, fines for most offenses are comparatively high. According to the fine catalog, they are as follows:
Speeding (20 km/h over the limit): from 100 Euros
Speeding (50 km/h over the limit): from 350 Euros
Seatbelt violation: 350 Euros
