From 1 October, ten school crossing guards will be stopping cars at pedestrian crossings outside eight schools in the Municipality of Spata–Artemida. The mayor, Dimitris Markou, signed their contracts on 28 September, and they were published on the Diaugia transparency portal on Tuesday 6 October. They remain in force until the end of the 2026–2027 school year. The compensation is 10 euros per day.
Lessons began on 14 September, so the first two and a half weeks of the school year passed without traffic wardens at the pedestrian crossings. The same thing happened last year, as the 2025 contracts also began on 1 October.
Which schools have a traffic warden?
Eight of the ten contracts relate to Artemida schools and two to Spata schools:
- Artemida 2nd Primary School: one traffic warden
- Artemida 3rd Primary School: two
- Artemida 5th Primary School: one
- Artemida Primary School No. 6: one
- Artemida Primary School No. 7: two
- Artemida Nursery School No. 3: one, from 2 October
- Spata Primary School No. 1: one
- Spata Primary School No. 3: one
The traffic warden stands at the crossing for half an hour at the start of the school day and half an hour at the end. In most primary schools, the times are 07:50–08:20 and 13:00–13:30. At Artemida 7th Primary School, the afternoon session ends at 13:20. At the 3rd Artemida Nursery School, the hours are 08:00–08:30 and 12:50–13:20, and at the 3rd Spata Primary School, 07:50–08:30 and 13:00–13:45. Timetables may be subject to change if necessary, subject to the headteacher’s approval. No contract covers the end of the full-day programme in the afternoon.
Who’s missing compared to last year?
Last year, the Council signed 11 contracts. Nine of them were published on 3 October 2025. The other two followed later: for the 2nd Primary School in Spata, starting on 15 October, and for the 4th Primary School in Artemida, starting on 16 October.
No contract for this academic year has yet been posted for these two schools. Last year, too, their contracts arrived two weeks later than those of the other schools, so this does not mean they will be left without a crossing patrol. Parents at these two schools can ask the headteacher or the parents’ association what stage the selection process is at.
How is a traffic warden selected?
The school crossing guard is not a municipal employee. They are a volunteer, and the contract explicitly states that it is not an employment contract. They are selected by a committee at the school itself. The chair is the headteacher, and the members are a representative of the local authority and the chair of the parents’ and guardians’ association. Anyone interested in the post must therefore first contact the school and the parents’ association. The same applies to parents who wish to have a traffic warden at a school that does not currently have one. Contracts are handled by the local council’s Human Resources Department (213 2007381).
The 10 euros per day is an allowance for travel expenses. The amount is set by Ministerial Decision 32174/2025 (Government Gazette B 3350/1 July 2025). Payments are made via the Single Payment Authority, subject to a certificate from the director confirming the days on which the traffic warden was on duty. Where the traffic warden covers only the morning or only the afternoon shift, the amount is reduced proportionally. The Municipality may terminate the contract if the traffic warden is absent for even one day during the month. If they fall ill, they are replaced by another traffic warden, subject to the director’s approval. For 2024, the Municipality had earmarked 10,000 euros for traffic wardens’ allowances.
What applies to drivers
The school crossing guard stands at a marked pedestrian crossing, not at a junction. He wears a high-visibility vest marked ‘School Crossing Guard’. To stop traffic, he holds up a portable STOP sign above the carriageway. The contract refers to Article 45 of Law 2696/1999. According to this, a driver who fails to comply is liable to imprisonment for up to one year and has their driving licence suspended for one month. The same penalty applies to anyone who behaves in an abusive or threatening manner towards a traffic warden. The contract also makes it clear that the traffic warden bears no responsibility for opening and closing the school gates.
Source: Municipality of Spata–Artemida, 10 school crossing guard contracts dated 28 September 2026, Diafania, 6 October 2026; contracts for 2025–26, Diafania, 3 October 2025 and 20 October 2025.
