ATHENS – Many electronic barriers for Athens’ metro and electric railway system are still not working yet, far behind schedule and as another deadline was missed to have them in place to prevent fare dodging.

The Ministry of Transport had said they would all be working by Feb. 28 but pushed that schedule back another month. The electronic ticket system replacing a barrier-free paper ticket scheme means cards are needed both to enter and exit the transportation system.

But the electronically-operated barriers have been activated at only seven of the capital city’s 60 metro and electric railway systems fully which has led to continued fare evasion as people can both enter and get off the subways and trains unless cornered by ticket checkers, who often find themselves faced with resistance and have no security.

Many of the 400,000 travel cards that have been sold haven’t been activated yet, indicating that commuters are walking through unhindered and waiting for all the barriers to go up before using their cards.