[InTime News]
Athens traffic experts discussed key solutions during a recent seminar held by the Greek Association of Transport Engineers (SES) to tackle the capital’s ongoing road crisis.
With chaotic traffic now a daily struggle, they highlighted urgent issues such as the dominance of private vehicles (65%) on main routes, illegal parking, and buses that barely meet the demand.
Among proposed solutions are: the implementation of a green ring, enhanced enforcement of illegal parking, congestion charging schemes modeled after cities like London and New York, and the expansion of the metro system with additional lines and stations.
Experts also discussed the inefficiency of bus lanes, with vehicles other than buses occupying them, reducing capacity by over 80%.
Alternative modes of transport, such as bicycles, are practically nonexistent in city traffic. Traffic congestion worsens daily, with rush hours starting as early as 8 a.m. and continuing until late in the evening.
One of the most alarming findings was the increase in “lost” hours in central routes, particularly Kifissou Avenue, where it was estimated that 6.5 million hours were wasted due to traffic in the last year. This amounts to a staggering economic loss of €80-90 million annually.
Moreover, officials discussed the possibility of applying congestion charges in central Athens, similar to systems already in place in other cities.