City of Athens struggling to keep up with public works tearing up capital’s streets, sidewalks

The Athens Municipal Authority does not have the resources to keep up with more than 1,700 upgrades and repairs being carried out across its jurisdiction by public and private utility companies, which often leave a mess of broken streets and pavements behind, adding to residents' frustration with the noise, dust and lack of sidewalks and parking, according to a city official. 

"Contractors can leave locations where they were carrying out work in a very poor state, with potholes and hasty patch-ups, despite the strict regulations in force," Andreas Grammatikogiannis, Athens' deputy mayor for infrastructure, has told Kathimerini.

The municipal authority introduced a new regulatory framework last July for public works carried out inside its jurisdiction, which, among other provisions, requires contractors to prove, with photographs, that they are leaving a work site in...