Tolls have been intertwined with the lives and daily routines of Greeks for many years. In a country where, even in mythology, one had to pay a fare to… die, this long-standing tradition has deep, indestructible roots—one might even say unbreakable.

To bring things into a more modern context, this year marks 160 years since the first official imposition of tolls, introduced in 1865 by Royal Decree. By now, tolls are so ingrained in reality that their absence exists only in the realm of artistic inspiration, as illustrated by the well-known song Tolls, with the chorus: “Now that there are no tolls / Love falls like warm rain.”

From Antiquity

They may not have always been called “front-facing,” “side tolls,” or “proportional,” as dictated by the current structure and function of highways, but the phenomenon of special passage taxes has existed in Greece since antiquity.

Being a “timeless value,” tolls played a crucial role in modern history in funding the creation of contemporary infrastructure. To go back to the very beginning, in ancient Athens, for example, there was the “gate tax,” which relatives and heirs of the deceased had to pay to the public treasury in order to gain the right to carry the dead out of the city gates.

According to mythology, however, the Acheron Lake, located on the Acheron River, was believed to be one of the entrances to the Underworld. There, Charon, the son of Erebus and Nyx, served as the ferryman transporting the souls of the dead to the Underworld, accepting as payment the obolus that relatives placed on the lips of the deceased. This tradition of the obolus endured for centuries and, in some parts of Greece, was still practiced even a few decades ago.

Collected by Private Individuals

It was in 1865, however, that Greece officially introduced mandatory payments for road usage for the first time. Specifically, on May 12, 1865, a decree signed by King George I established the first tolls for the road between Lamia and Stylida and vice versa. “For the horses, pack animals, and beasts of burden passing through the national road from Lamia to Stylida and back, spanning sixteen stadia and beyond, tolls shall be imposed for a period of three years.” The charge was five lepta of the drachma per horse, donkey, or mule, while if they were harnessed to a carriage, the toll fee increased to ten lepta.

Naturally, there was no provision for proportional charges, as it was clearly stated that “these tolls must be paid even if the animals only partially traverse the road.”

What is particularly interesting is that, even back then, the “concession system” was in effect. Tolls were collected by private individuals who participated in auctions to secure the right to collect toll revenues for a three-year period. Whoever placed the highest bid got the job.

Of course, we are talking about a Greece that at the time had fewer than 200 kilometers of “carriage roads,” with most travel occurring via dirt or cobblestone paths. Thus, the imposition of tolls was deemed necessary to generate funds for expanding carriage roads.

In 1867, the first institutional steps were taken with the enactment of the Law on the Formation of Road and Maritime Transportation Resources, which established the National Road Fund (TEO). This fund gathered resources from tolls and customs duties.

For a Century

Turning back the clock, we see that even before the first official tolls, as early as 1842, a decree established tolls on Piraeus Road at a rate of 5 lepta per animal. In December 1847, the infamous “gate duties” (diapylia telē) were introduced by law to financially support municipalities. Essentially, they were an indirect tax imposed by local municipal authorities on goods entering their jurisdiction from other regions of Greece. These “gate duties” were either collected by municipal employees or, in some cases, the concession model was applied, where private individuals leased the collection rights for a certain period. Naturally, political favors and personal connections with municipal authorities played a significant role in securing these contracts.

To facilitate fee collection, small buildings were erected at the entrances and exits of municipalities, where every cart was meticulously inspected and charged before passing through. These structures became popularly known as “Foroi” (Taxes), and some of them remained standing until just a few years ago. In Attica, such “Foroi” existed in Kastrí, near the Varybómpi bridge, in Nea Erythraia, in Palaio Faliro, and elsewhere.

The diapylia telē were seen as a burdensome levy, sparking resistance among farmers who couldn’t freely distribute their products and local communities that had to pay an inflated final bill despite their meager incomes. According to historical accounts, there were even reports of tax collectors resorting to violence against suspected tax evaders, further fueling public discontent, which inevitably reflected on the central government.

Amidst this unrest, in 1894, the government of Charilaos Trikoupis announced plans to abolish the diapylia telē, introducing a related bill. However, to compensate municipalities for the lost revenue, new taxes were proposed on buildings, customs duties, and more. This sparked fresh opposition, culminating in protests in central Athens. This backlash is considered one of the reasons for the fall of Trikoupis’ government, ultimately leading to the diapylia telē remaining in place. Nevertheless, during Trikoupis’ tenure (1882-1892), approximately 2,600 km of new roads were built, funded primarily by a 20-million-drachma loan from the National Bank of Greece. However, road network expansion then stalled for the next 30 years.

Despite repeated attempts at reform, the diapylia telē persisted under various administrations, including that of Eleftherios Venizelos, until they were finally abolished in 1948—a full century after their initial implementation. The lost municipal revenues were later compensated through other indirect taxes, such as levies on agricultural production and, later, a percentage of the tobacco tax.

At a national level, 1927 marked a turning point when new legislation classified roads into national, provincial, and municipal categories, established relevant authorities, and secured dedicated funding for the National Road Fund (TEO), which took on the construction and maintenance of national highways. These funds came from gasoline taxes, state subsidies, and, of course, tolls paid by road users.

That same year, the Special Fund for Permanent Pavements of Athens (ETMOA) was created to oversee roadworks in Athens, Piraeus, and surrounding areas. To finance this, various new fees were introduced, including a special levy on every vehicle operating in these regions, based on the rationale that “every vehicle is obliged to pay the tax, regardless of the length of its journey.”

A New Era

The modern era of Greek highways was ushered in between 1957 and 1962, during the premiership of Konstantinos Karamanlis, when major national roads such as Athens–Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki–Kavala, and Ioannina–Arta were developed.

On a hot summer day—the last day of August 1963—the Athens–Lamia National Road, spanning 214 km, was inaugurated. The official opening ceremony took place at its intersection with the Nea Filadelfia–Tatoi road, with Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis in attendance, alongside Minister of Public Works Solon Gikas and Speaker of the Parliament Konstantinos Rodopoulos.

The following day, on September 1st, toll collection began at the Tragana toll station (54th km) and the Schimatari toll station (130th km). According to a 1963 ministerial decision “On the Numbering of National Roads”, what is now the Old National Road Athens–Thessaloniki was designated as EO1, with its route extending from Athens to Evzones at the border with the former Yugoslavia. Over the following years, national road network expansions continued, alongside the establishment of additional toll stations.

The Toll Concessions

In the early 1990s, Greece embarked on its first-generation road concession projects, under the Study – Construction – Financing – Operation model. Of the five initial projects, only two—the Attica Perimeter Ring and the Western Perimeter Highway of Hymettus—were successfully tendered and gradually completed by 2001 and 2004, respectively, in preparation for the Olympic Games. During this period, another major project, the Rio–Antirrio Bridge, was also completed ahead of schedule, again to coincide with the Olympic Games.

By 1999, Greece launched second-generation road concession projects, resulting in five major motorway agreements (Aegean Motorway, Olympia Odos, Moreas, Ionia Odos, and Central Greece Motorway), based on the principle that “the user pays.” Under these contracts, tolls were expected to cover 70% of construction and operational costs, with the remaining 30% funded by the state. However, serious financial issues arose, leading to excessive private sector debt. To mitigate this, a front-toll system was introduced, imposing high charges on residents near toll stations without alternative routes and, controversially, charging tolls on unfinished road sections. This prompted public backlash, including the emergence of the “I Won’t Pay” movement, which later became a political talking point.

Crisis and Reform

The financial crisis upended many of these plans, as reduced traffic volumes led to a sharp decline in toll revenue. This forced concessionaires and the state to renegotiate in an effort to salvage projects. In 2011, they reached a Memorandum of Understanding, which included a reassessment of funding needs and proposed new toll policies such as electronic tolls and interoperability between different networks. However, these plans were left in limbo due to the country’s political instability.

Eventually, in 2013, the Greek Parliament ratified amendments to the concession contracts, leading to project cutbacks, substantial compensation payments, and toll hikes. After multiple delays, the five motorways were completed by late 2017. However, some key sections remained unfinished—most notably the deadly Patras–Pyrgos segment, which, following unsuccessful attempts to break it into smaller contracts, was reassigned to Olympia Odos and is expected to be largely completed by the coming July.

Toll Stations, Increases, and Exceptions

There is no doubt that without tolls—meaning the direct contribution of all users—the major modernization projects of the national road network would have been impossible to implement. On the other hand, Greece is among the countries with the highest number of toll stations, considering that there are approximately 145 mainline and side toll stations operating across the country.

Specifically, on the PATHE motorway (Aegean Motorway, Central Greece Motorway, Nea Odos), there are 30 stations, including 11 mainline and 19 side toll stations. On the Egnatia Odos, there are 36 stations, of which 19 are mainline (some located off the main axis but managed by Egnatia Odos S.A.) and 17 side stations. The Olympia Odos has 14 stations, including 5 mainline and 9 side stations. The Ionia Odos operates 9 stations (4 mainline and 5 side stations), while the Moreas Motorway has another 9 stations (5 mainline and 4 side stations). The E65 motorway features 7 stations (3 mainline and 4 side stations). Meanwhile, on the Attiki Odos, where tolls are charged only at the entrance to the highway, there are a total of 39 stations.

It should be noted that, in several cases, depending on concession agreements and company planning, mainline or side toll stations may be added or removed. As for toll prices, under the concession contracts, inflation adjustments apply, causing costs for drivers to… steadily climb. The most recent increase occurred on New Year’s Day, reflecting the 2024 inflation adjustment. The new rates have already been applied to most motorways, including the Aegean Motorway, Olympia Odos, Nea Odos, Central Greece Motorway, and Moreas. However, the highest toll charge remains that of the Rio–Antirrio Bridge, which costs €15.40 for passenger cars and can reach €78.20 for large buses or coaches, although special discount programs are available.

While toll rates tend to increase continuously, there are some exceptions. For example, in October 2024, toll fees on the Maliakos–Kleidi section of the PATHE motorway were reduced following the Greek government’s securing of €15.82 million from the project’s refinancing. This resulted in a 17% discount, which will remain in effect until the funds are exhausted, estimated to last until approximately December 2025.

The most notable exception, however, was the reduction in toll rates on the Attiki Odos, implemented on October 6, 2024, as stipulated in the new concession agreement with GEK TERNA Group. As a result, toll fees for passenger cars were reduced from €2.80 to €2.50, with corresponding reductions for other vehicle categories. Additionally, for the first time, a permanent exemption from toll fees was introduced for privately owned passenger vehicles belonging to Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and war veterans with disabilities.

Distance-Based Tolls

Another long-running saga is that of distance-based tolls, which, in theory, should have been implemented years ago. Under the distance-based toll system, drivers would pay fees proportionate to the distance they travel on each motorway. However, in the vast majority of cases, its implementation has been… postponed to the indefinite future.

Even here, though, there is an exception. The Olympia Odos, which connects three major regions (Attica, Peloponnese, and Western Greece), is the only motorway in Greece currently charging based on mileage. This is made possible through the Hybrid system, an innovative tolling method for Greece, which is automatically available with the Olympia Pass transponder.

The Hybrid system, which applies to all vehicle categories except motorcycles, calculates the exact distance traveled by the driver and automatically reimburses any excess toll fees. The same system will also be implemented on the new Patras–Pyrgos motorway.