Day without cars, but public transport free
Public transport in Athens and Thessaloniki will be free of charge tomorrow, when Greece participates for the second consecutive year in Europe’s Day Without Cars. Transport Minister Christos Verelis said yesterday the purpose of the exercise was for the public to become acquainted with their transport system. According to a recent ministry poll, two-thirds of the population were unaware that September 22 is supposed to be car-free. Verelis said that new buses and bus lanes to be introduced by 2003 should increase the average speed on the city’s roads from the current 10-12.5 kilometers per hour to 45 kilometers per hour. Among the buses on the streets tomorrow will be two from the 1950s and the first trolley bus that circulated in Greece.
