Athenian parents reassured
The City of Athens said yesterday that it will be able to provide places in preschool education for all the children that have applied to nursery schools in the municipality. Maria Iliopoulou, the head of the service, said that partly thanks to European Union funding, there will be 5,500 places available to children. Iliopoulou said that the municipal budget for preschool education has been halved from 54 million euros in 2010, while the number of pupils has risen by 15 percent. Iliopoulou said that 52 percent of families who send their children to municipal nursery schools pay no fees at all, while 33 percent pay 70 euros a month.
Fuel smuggling.
Police said yesterday that they had raided facilities in Keratsini and Neo Perama, west of Athens, where the dye added to ship fuel, which is taxed at a much lower rate than normal diesel, was removed so the fuel could be supplied to several gas stations. Police also conducted checks at seven gas stations that are thought to have obtained the illegal fuel. Officers said that it was not immediately clear what the illegal trade was worth and how much the Greek state had lost out on in unpaid taxes but it is estimated that 2.5 million liters of ship fuel was smuggled by the gang.
Bus boarding.
A pilot scheme aimed at tackling fare dodging is to begin on buses in Athens from Monday which will force passengers to board the vehicles via the front door. The scheme will apply to a number of routes that have been selected by transport authorities before being applied on all buses operating in the city. For more information, passengers can call the Athens Urban Transport Organization on 185 or visit www.oasa.gr.
Evangelismos extension.
Work was inaugurated on the construction of a new wing at Evangelismos Hospital in Athens yesterday. The wing, which will contain surgery rooms, is due to be concluded in 15 months, said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. The construction is being funded by National Bank of Greece.
Sentences upheld.
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the prison sentences handed to former judges Constantina Bourboulia and Evangelos Kalousis cannot be reversed. The two judges, found guilty of trial fixing, had appealed their sentences. Bourboulia was jailed for seven years and Kalousis for 12. Kalousis was sentenced in 2009 and was released in 2012. Bourboulia was handed her prison term last year.