A meeting on the traffic of wheeled vehicles on the islands of Hydra and Spetses was held after protothema.gr published the “flooding” of cars, motorbikes, and bicycles on Hydra despite the law that stipulates that the island is inaccessible to all types of wheeled vehicles.

The meeting was attended by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, Attica Region Governor Nikos Hardalias, State Minister Akis Skertosos, Secretary General of the Ministry of Civil Protection Michael Stathis, Secretary General of Shipping Evangelos Kyriazopoulos, Secretary General of the Prime Minister Stelios Koutnatzis, as well as the Mayors of Hydra and Spetses.

The aim was to formulate a stricter framework of regulations and controls for wheeled vehicles on the two islands, which are governed by special protection rules.

Hydra, designated as an area of special natural beauty and cultural value, has a strict regulatory framework that prohibits the circulation of any wheeled vehicles, even bicycles, except for a few exceptions for the basic needs of residents.

As noted at the meeting, the recent tightening by the Ministry of Culture is deemed sufficient in protecting the character of the island, but better enforcement and policing is needed.

At the same time, two interventions were decided:

– The creation of a digital open register for the registration and public access to vehicles with a special license by the Ministry of Culture.

– The establishment of a special complaints line to the Greek Police and the Coast Guard, for cases of illegal traffic, to enhance the speed and effectiveness of controls.

Spetses: Towards tightening the regime

At the same time, Spetses is governed by a regime with more exemptions in terms of vehicle registration both within the main settlement and the rest of the island, which over the years have increased, also altering the character of the island and its special protection regime that the legislature had envisaged from the beginning.

The mayor of Spetses has commissioned the National Technical University of Athens to prepare a study of the island’s carrying capacity in terms of wheeled vehicles. After its delivery, which is expected on June 15, 2025, a special working group will be set up to recommend measures to the government, the region and the municipality to tighten the traffic framework. The aim is to preserve the identity of Spetses, limiting exceptions to cases of real need.