Ministry ponders transport barriers

A project to install barriers on the public transport system in Athens is unlikely to be completed before next year, the Transport Ministry revealed on Thursday.

The government said that six private firms have made bids for the contract to place the machines at metro and electric railway stations, at tram stops and eventually on buses and trolley buses.

The ministry hopes to pick a successful bidder by the end of this year so the barriers can be installed in 2012.

It is estimated that transport authorities in Athens miss out on some 50 million euros in revenues due to fare dodging.

Some 850 million journeys are made on the public transport system a year. Of these, 120 million journeys are thought to be carried out by fare dodgers or passengers with bogus tickets.