Athens traffic jams forecast to return in September

With life in the capital slowly returning to normal after the peak of the summer holidays, experts predict that traffic will be especially heavy on the streets of Athens as of September.

The estimates by Attica Traffic Management Center experts are based on projections for the fall using traffic data recorded in the first half of 2022.

The data show that from the beginning of the year through June, there was a steady increase in private vehicle traffic in the city, culminating in May and June with large increases compared to pre-pandemic figures. Indicatively, in May 2022, 199,984 vehicles drove on Kifissos Avenue within a 24-hour period, compared to 144,683 in January. 

At the same time, the experts said the lack of parking spaces makes matters worse. Citing Transport Ministry data, they said more than 2.6 million cars use the roads daily in Attica, while the road network is only suitable for up to 1 million cars.