A digital app called “MyCoast” allows beachgoers in Greece to directly report access violations by those placing umbrellas and sun loungers on the shoreline.
The app was released to the public by the Ministry of Digital Governance on Monday morning. “MyCoast” allows users to file complaints in cases where tourist establishments exceed their allotted space for installing umbrellas on the beach or occupy it unauthorized, without having a corresponding concession agreement.
Using geolocation features, users can pinpoint the location of a suspected violation. Once identified, the application provides comprehensive information, including the specified location, rental period, and permitted coverage area as specified in the license agreement.
Applicants can submit reports either under their own name or anonymously using their Taxisnet login and password
The app can be downloaded free of charge by citizens so they can file complaints about unauthorized coastal encroachment or concession violations. The application is already ready in App Store and will be available on Google Play from the evening of Monday, April 24, 2024, emphasized during the presentation the Ministers of Digital Governance Dimitris Papastergiou and National Economy and Finance Kostis Hatzidakis.
Inspections will be carried out by municipalities, police and state real estate services. Fines for violating the rules range from 2,000 to 60,000 euros and include penalties such as suspension of the concession.
Ministers recalled the movement “Beach towels – free beaches” on several islands last summer, resulting in 4,500 inspections and 1,750 violations. The minister emphasized that they “want to create a social alliance between the government and society in favor of environmental protection.”
How the MyCoast app works
Having opened the application, the citizen must find the area of interest either by searching on the application map, or by “scanning” the QR code of the concession, which will be placed on a sign on the beach. As soon as the territory is found, data about the concession and its details (location, start-end, use, area) will appear on the mobile phone screen.
If a citizen finds unauthorized occupation of land or obstruction of free access, he can file the above-mentioned complaints through the application by selecting a specific concession or a specific point on the map if there is no active concession. The user specifies the reason for the complaint, enters a brief description of the problem, and chooses whether the complaint will be filed anonymously or by name. In the latter case, it must be connected to Taxisnet personal codes to complete the process.
It should be noted that only one complaint of each type can be submitted on the same day, from the same device, and for the same concession. And also that a complaint can be filed from a mobile device located near the point of the specified concession. If filing complaints through the application is not possible, they are submitted by any other suitable method to the government body, which is obliged to forward it to the competent public service on the same day, the state broadcaster reports ERT.
PS Now the main thing is that this initiative does not turn into a fiction, as happened with the similar MyAthina application, where citizens could similarly point out violations and submit their photo. If during the first month the authorities still somehow responded to the “signals” of citizens, then after six months no reaction from the authorities was noticed. And this is not the first such example…
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