As in most European cities, we can’t afford to drive around at peak hours with our private cars. No city has found a solution to the traffic problem, not even Athens and that’s because there is no one. In fact, the traffic problem in Athens has not yet reached its peak. In the next 2-3 years we will have a continuous deterioration of the situation, we will beg to be like the current situation.
Vehicles increase, movements increase, we have more people on the roads and greater congestion. This is a reality faced in most cities, not by trying to accommodate private cars, as it is a deadlock, but by attempting to serve transportation and commuters, namely Public Transport. It is utopian to think that all cities have very good metro systems and well-developed systems. On the contrary, what they do is prioritize buses. Obviously, Athens also needs more metro lines. We still have a lot of work to do since we need 200 metro stations and currently have 80. Nevertheless, the existing metro network in Athens serves many areas and until additional metro lines are established, we can have good Public Transport services if we prioritize them. Studies worldwide and in Athens suggest that commuters will change their mode of transportation only when they save time. The most crucial factor is time. If we provide them the opportunity to travel by bus faster, they will choose it.
Are the buses reliable? Or do they get trapped in most cases?
We need to consider who is responsible for the delays of buses. It is a fact that private cars are to blame for the buses’ delays. There are bus lanes, not many, but even those do not function. According to a recent study conducted by the NTUA, the violation ranges from 40% to 90% of parked and moving vehicles in bus lanes. If we enforce the rules, at least on the main axes, we can have twice the frequency of the same buses. Therefore, buses are sufficient and would move much faster if there were space for them to move freely. However, this requires enforcement and cameras.
Even if new roads are created, things will get worse. Every city needs peripheral axes. The Athens’ ring has not been completed. There is the Attiki Odos and somewhat the Kifissos for peripheral traffic. We need a combination for infrastructure. We obviously want more metro lines and a few more road axes, like the Attiki Odos, to complete peripheral traffic in the Basin and vehicles not to go towards the center. In addition, other measures include expanding traffic towards the National Road, as well as the tunnel planned for the southern Hymettus Ring Road, which is already designed to go up to Vouliagmenis. It is obvious that all these require time. However, until these are completed, many cities have found solutions by prioritizing Public Transport.
Τoday we have a highly private car-centric policy, but constantly discussing what will happen with traffic is the wrong question. The right question is what will happen with commuters. No solution will be found as long as there is space for private cars. It should be noted that even if new metro stations open, space will be freed up, but after 6 months, it will be filled with private cars. The science of Transportation Engineering states that traffic always balances in congestion everywhere in all cities, so the solution is Public Transport. The problem is that in Athens, there are neither cameras for buses nor a serious infringements management system.
Even in the metro, which is one of the best means of transportation, the frequency of schedules during peak hours can reach 12 to 13 minutes. There is not a magic solution. What both journalists and scientists in the government should emphasize is that the focus should be on Public Transport.
Movements in the city center should be made with bicycles. The center of Athens has a large population and many movements are short-distance. For this reason, bike lanes need to be created. It is noteworthy that a private car carrying one person is equivalent to 10 bicycles.
Is there a culture of cycling in Athens?
The entire southern Europe (e.g., France, Spain and Italy) did not have a bicycle culture and within 15 years, they acquired it because they had politicians who dared to change things. Obviously, there was and still is opposition from car drivers, but they dare and speak up. It is a dead-end to constantly help private cars and seek solutions for them. We will take space from parking and traffic and give it to bicycles and buses. The most significant tool for traffic management is parking management. When we leave parking uncontrolled in all city centers, especially in Athens, we attract more private cars. In conclusion, it is underlined that if we stop illegal parking and give more space to pedestrians, our mindset will have to change.
Interview on the G. Psaltis – E. Salamara Show on the radio station Realfm 97.8 in December 2023.
