Public transport at mercy of vandals

The vandalism carried out by a group of some 200 people at the electric railway station (ISAP) in Eirini, northern Athens, on Wednesday night has highlighted the seeming inability of authorities to prevent repeated attacks on infrastructure belonging to the Athens public transport network.

According to the Athens Urban Transport Organization (OASA), the responsibility for the protection of public property lies with the police. However, many stations are forced to rely on private security companies.

“There is a serious security problem because private security company employees do not have the training,” said Spyros Revithis, the president of the union representing Athens metro workers.

Workers of STASY, the operator of Athens’s fixed-track public transport system, have proposed the creation of their own security service.