A 36-year-old taxi driver was found in the hands of the Police at the Kifissos KTEL station , when a Traffic Police check revealed that he was allegedly charging passengers an excessive fare , having activated the double tariff on the taximeter instead of the prescribed single rate .
The incident was revealed at noon on August 21 , during checks carried out by police officers of the Traffic Accident Prevention Control Team (O.E.P.T.A.) of the Attica Traffic Police Directorate at the intercity bus station.
According to the Hellenic Police, the police officers found that the 36-year-old had set the taximeter to double charge , even though the single tariff was in effect for that particular hour. In this way, passengers using the taxi risked being faced with a significantly increased fare without being justified by the prescribed charges .
The check, however, did not stop there. When the police officers examined the driver’s details, they found that he had no right to be behind the wheel , as his driving license had been revoked just two days earlier, on August 19, for a period of ten days .
Despite the removal of his license, the 36-year-old allegedly continued his professional activity as normal, transporting passengers on the streets of Athens.
The situation became even more aggravating when, according to police data, the driver initially refused to disclose his details to the police officers carrying out the check.
His arrest followed and a case was filed against him for collecting excessive fares, disobedience and driving without a driving license .
The 36-year-old was brought before the competent prosecutor.
The case takes on particular significance as it occurred at one of Athens’ largest transportation hubs , through which thousands of travelers pass daily, many of whom are unaware of the expected taxi fares and are therefore more exposed to cases of illegal overcharging.
This specific inspection revealed two different violations at the same time : on the one hand, the alleged overcharging through the illegal activation of the dual tariff, and on the other, the fact that the driver was allegedly operating routes while his license had already been revoked .
The arrest is yet another reminder that checks on taxis, particularly in high-traffic areas such as bus stations, ports and airports , remain critical both for the protection of passengers from illegal charges and for road safety.
