Three new digital services are now available through Gov.gr, focusing on vehicle circulation in Hydra, a Greek island with strict traffic restrictions. These services were developed through a collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Digital Governance, aiming to improve organization, ensure transparency, and better serve citizens.

Specifically, citizens can now:

• Submit online applications to get approval for disembarking and temporarily keeping construction machinery on the island.
• Check whether a vehicle on the island is authorized to circulate, through an open data registry.
• Report unauthorized vehicle circulation to the relevant authorities.

These services help protect Hydra’s unique historical character by ensuring that any vehicle movement—especially construction equipment—happens only with official approval. They also foster trust by allowing citizens to actively participate in monitoring legal compliance through quick and transparent procedures.

How it works:

Applications for the disembarkation, circulation, and stay of construction vehicles can be submitted digitally via:

• Gov.gr, under the section “Culture, Sports, and Tourism” → “Culture”, or
• Directly through: https://ydrapass.gov.gr

Users log in with their TaxisNet credentials, provide project and vehicle details, specify desired arrival and departure dates for the vehicle on the island, and submit the request to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands for review and processing.

The official response document is digitally signed by the Ministry of Digital Governance and includes a unique verification code. It is posted to the applicant’s Gov.gr Citizen Inbox and Gov.gr Wallet.

Open Data Access:

There is now a publicly available database listing all vehicles authorized to circulate and remain on the island. This includes:

• Construction vehicles with project-specific approval
• Essential service vehicles like fire trucks, ambulances, and garbage trucks

The list includes each vehicle’s license plate, approval expiry date, and movement restrictions, allowing any citizen to verify a vehicle’s legitimacy transparently.

Online Reporting of Unauthorized Vehicles:

Citizens can now digitally report unauthorized vehicles operating on the island. Reports can be submitted via Gov.gr, under:

• “Citizen and Daily Life” → “Reports”

The reporter must provide the vehicle’s license plate and relevant details about when and where the vehicle was seen moving or parked. Reports are forwarded to the Hellenic Police for investigation.

Development and Implementation:

The service was designed and implemented by the Unified Digital Gateway Coordination Service (gov.gr) of the General Secretariat for Information Systems & Digital Governance, with technical support from the National Infrastructures for Research and Technology (GRNET S.A.), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture.