Bus lanes will turn red, green
The almost permanently congested streets of Athens are to become more colorful under a campaign to highlight traffic lanes reserved for the exclusive use of public transport, the government said yesterday. Presenting a program to increase the current number of bus lanes in the city center – in a move intended to double the speed of Athenian buses and trolleys – Transport Minister Christos Verelis said bus lanes would be painted in bright colors. Those going against the traffic flow, such as the lane running up Panepistimiou St to Syntagma Sq, will be painted red. The others will be green. New bus lanes will be created on Academias, Harilaou Tricoupi and Ippocratous streets as well as on parts of Syngrou, Patission and Alexandras avenues in Athens, and Iroon Polytechneiou and Grigoriou Lambraki streets in Piraeus. Apart from buses, the lanes – which function from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturdays – will be open to coaches, police vehicles, ambulances, fire engines and motorbikes. The fine for illegal entry is 78 euros.
