Authorities have started sending Athens motorists automatically generated fines from artificial intelligence-equipped fixed and bus-mounted cameras amid a massive crackdown on dangerous driving, authorities said Monday.
A Finance Ministry statement said the first 130 fines have been sent to citizens’ gov.gr portal inboxes and wallets for infringements recorded since Saturday – mostly motorists running red lights or motorcyclists not wearing crash helmets.
Currently, under a pilot scheme just eight AI traffic cameras are in operation at what the ministry calls “increased-risk” spots in the Greater Athens region, while ten public transport buses carry cameras. But that number is set to balloon in the coming months.
The fixed cameras are designed to catch motorists driving through red lights, speeding, driving or parking in bus lanes, not wearing helmets or seat belts and driving while talking on the phone. The ones on buses will record vehicles illegally using or parking in bus lanes. Furthermore, footage will be used to catch motorists who have not paid their road tax, breach pollution rules on entering the center of Athens or are driving vehicles that are uninsured or have not passed their regular roadworthiness tests.
The ministry warned that a total 1,000 fixed AI traffic cameras will be installed by the end of the year in the Greater Athens region, Thessaloniki and Crete, with more to follow in 2027, while some 300 bus-mounted cameras will be in place by early 2027.
The government has launched a major crackdown on dangerous driving in recent months, in a bid to boost road safety and reduce accidents. Financial and legal penalties for breaches of the highway code have been substantially hiked, while police nationwide have issued tens of thousands of fines.