[Yiannis Liakos/Intime News]
Illegal parking in central Athens remains a major problem despite intensified enforcement efforts, city officials say.
In just 12 days in January, municipal police issued 5,270 tickets for illegal parking, with over 2,100 violations involving cars blocking sidewalks, according to Deputy Mayor Thomas Georgiadis. He described the situation as “difficult and and at a dead end.”
Athens has seen a sharp rise in private vehicles, with 100,000 more registered between 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, legal parking remains scarce, with just 3,463 spaces for visitors and steep garage fees exceeding €12 per hour.
Despite penalties – including two-month license suspensions for blocking disabled ramps – violations persist. In 2024, municipal police recorded 471,785 traffic offenses, with over 16,600 cases leading to license or registration suspensions.