Greece Uses Drones to Keep Sunbeds Off Beaches
There's nothing like a Greek beach in the summer. The warm sand and the cool sea, the smell of fresh food from the nearby restaurants, the buzz of drones in the bright blue sky.
Yes, you read that right — drones have become part of the Greek summer. But don't worry, they're not looking at sunbathing tourists, but at beaches where businesses are breaking the law.
The Greek government announced tougher beach rules earlier this year. People have been complaining about expensive sunbeds taking over beaches, and bars and restaurants doing the same with their chairs and tables.
But the new law says that only 30% of a beach can be used for sunbeds, and only 15% in some special areas. There are also beaches where no sunbeds or umbrellas are allowed.
Beds must also be at least four meters away from the water, while restaurants and bars must have permits if they want to put chairs and tables for customers on a beach.
The first drones were sent to check on beaches at the end of May. They began looking at two areas in the north of the country where there had been a lot of complaints.
Since then, they've been flying across Greece and over some of the most popular tourist islands.
The government said it wanted to protect the beaches and people's right to use them. But it also said that it wanted to allow businesses to make money from visiting tourists, as long as they follow the rules.
As well as sending drones, the government has created an app that allows people to report businesses that are breaking the rules.
It was reported that in just five days at the start of July, about $380,000 of fines were given to businesses.
