Traffic problems trouble Greek politicians

ATHENS, Greece, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Leading transportation specialists in Athens, Greece, are torn about whether to enforce fines for motorists entering cities with excessive traffic congestion.

Greek politicians reportedly are worried about the unpopularity of enforcing such fines, but Evangelos Matsoukas of Patras University claimed the only "political cost" the new plan would cause would become a "political dividend," Kathimerini reported Saturday.

"We should try to avoid spending the precious time of transport engineers on analyses and decisions for the future that are of no use for the time being when there are actions yet to be taken that could have a tangible impact," Yiannis Frantzeskakis of the National Technical University of Athens said.

To reduce the approximately 30,000 vehicles that regularly park in Athens free of cost, officials should buckle down on parking laws, Frantzeskakis told Kathimerini.

Greek Institute of Transportation Engineers Head, Yiannis Handros, told reporters government officials would have to teach drivers about new laws and secure "a consistent transport policy" before enforcing such charges.