Lavrio: taxi drivers charged tourists exorbitant prices and hid taximeters

Detained in Lavrio four taxi driverswho, according to police, overcharged tourists, did not turn on the taximeter and charged €200 instead of €150.

The incident occurred amid a series of complaints against taxi drivers in tourist and transport spots in Attica. Just recently, Athens News prepared material about a similar case at KTEL Kifisos, where the driver, based on a passenger complaint, refused to turn on the taximeter and demanded €80 for a trip to Piraeus and dropped people off on the road. After the story with Kifisos – a new episode in Lavrio.

Now we are no longer talking about one driver, but about a targeted police operation. According to Zouglaon the morning of July 6, 2026, officers of the ΟΕΠΤΑ Traffic Police Directorate of Attica detained four taxi drivers aged 32, 37, 57 and 60 years.

What the police found

According to the official message ΕΛ.ΑΣthree of the drivers detained for the route “port of Lavrio – archaeological complex of the Acropolis” upon return received from passengers €200 instead of the legal tariff €150.

Lavrio: taxi drivers charged tourists exorbitant prices and hid taximeters pic.twitter.com/8lIIqDOvTz

— Athens News (@russianathens) July 8, 2026

In another case, the driver took €12 for a trip from the center of Lavrio to the port of Lavrio – the route is only about 1.5 km. The legal tariff, according to the police, was €4. Even by the standards of the summer tourist season, this is no longer a tariff, but a small show of greed with a yellow body.

As he writes Documentothe drivers were detained for receiving payment above the permissible limit, and case materials and administrative fines were filed against them.

Taxi meters, towels and old tricks

According to Greek media reports, the scheme was simple: drivers targeted tourists near the port of Lavrio, took advantage of the fact that foreigners do not know normal tariffs, and demanded inflated payments. In some cases, taxi meters were either not used or were covered with items, including towels, to prevent passengers from seeing the actual cost of the trip.

One of the drivers, according to the police, refused to hand over documents to police officers and tried to avoid arrest by making dangerous maneuvers. As a result, the case involves not only excessive fares, but also, as appropriate, insubordination and dangerous driving.

The situation is particularly troublesome because Lavrio is an important point for tourists arriving or departing from the islands. A person gets off the ferry with a suitcase, tries to get to the right place, and instead of a normal service he receives an exam on his knowledge of Greek tariff legislation. Very welcoming, almost a postcard.

What did they do to the drivers?

According to the police, a criminal case file has been formed against four drivers for receiving payment above the permissible rate. Administrative fines were also issued.

The violators’ driver’s licenses and special taxi licenses were immediately confiscated. The cars were stopped, and the detainees were taken to the station, accompanied by patrol cars.

The detainees were brought according to the αυτόφωρο procedure to the prosecutor for misdemeanors of Athens. Depending on the specific episode, they are charged with overcharging, disobedience and dangerous driving.

The problem is becoming serial

In recent days, this is not the first episode related to complaints about inflated taxi fares. Earlier, Greek media reported a case where a driver charged tourists €175 for a trip from Eleftherios Venizelos Airport to the Acropolis, although the normal cost of the route was significantly lower. Wrote about this News247.

This was followed by an episode at KTEL Kifisos, and now by arrests in Lavrio. In each case, the logic is similar: the tourist or passenger is in a vulnerable situation, the driver refuses a transparent tariff, and the price turns into negotiations on the topic “how much can you take before the person realizes that he has been cheated.”

Police say inquiries will continue. And this is precisely the rare case when regular raids are needed not only to punish individual drivers, but also to protect the reputation of the entire sector. Because most normal taxi drivers are then forced to explain to passengers that they are not participants in a mobile scam, but simply work.

What is important for passengers to know

On a normal trip, the driver is required to use a taximeter. Fixed fares are valid only on certain routes and under specified conditions. If the driver offers to “negotiate,” closes the taxi meter, refuses to issue a receipt, or demands an amount that seems unreasonable, the passenger should record the car number, time, route and, if possible, save a video or photo.

In the event of a conflict, it is better not to enter into a violent confrontation, but to contact the police, tourist police or competent services. A recording of a conversation, a receipt, a taxi number and an exact route usually mean more than an emotional argument on the road.

Main conclusion

The detention of four taxi drivers in Lavrio shows that the authorities have begun to specifically check routes where tourists are especially easy to deceive. The port, suitcases, language barriers and ignorance of tariffs create ideal conditions for overpayment.

If checks continue not only after high-profile publications, but also systematically at ports, airports, KTEL and tourist sites, some drivers will quickly remember that a taxi is a licensed service, and not a mobile auction. A tourist in Greece already goes through enough tests: heat, ferries, schedules, strikes and a suitcase on wheels. Adding to this a taxi driver with a towel on the taximeter is already too much even for the summer season.

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