The measure applies to motorway concessionaires that operate under contracts with the Greek state, effectively removing an obligation that continues to apply to thousands of other businesses.
The exemption was requested by “Hellenic Infrastructure and Motorways with Tolls,” the organization representing all of the country’s modern highways. Their main argument is that IRIS payments take too long to process and can create backups at toll plazas.
To complete an IRIS transaction, a toll attendant must display a unique QR code, which the driver then scans through their banking app before confirming the payment through a biometric check or a passcode. Concessionaires say the multi-step process is incompatible with the fast pace required to keep traffic moving on major motorways.
As a result, the use of IRIS at toll booths will remain optional rather than mandatory, a decision intended to prevent additional delays. In Greece, where drivers already spend an average of 111 hours a year stuck in traffic, fears of worsening congestion appear to have weighed heavily in favor of the exemption.
