The ENVIBASE-Project

Documentation / Online Handbook

Traffic

Description of the Problem

Athens, like other large metropolitan areas around the world, has significant air pollution problems from traffic. Vehicles are responsible for 55 % of the pollution, making them the main contributor. Central heating is the second biggest contributor at 30 %, only significant only during the short Greek heating season. Industry is the smallest contributor at 15 %, affecting mainly neighbouring areas. The above percentages are based on fuel consumption figures (1995 statistics) and then modified with specific pollutant coefficients.

During the last ten years, the number of cars in Athens has increased from 800,000 to 1,500,000. This increase has created chaotic traffic conditions, health problems due to near ground air pollution, roadside traffic noise, as well as secondary environmental problems.

The proportion of private/passenger car ownership in Athens is 2.4 citizens/car, which is considered to be very high, showing an annual increase of 6-7 %. At this rate, by the year 2000 Athens will have 1.9 citizens/car, one of the highest ratios in the world and close to California’s levels.

Attica SOS is a package of measures announced in spring 1994 by the Ministry of Environment concerning secondary measures specially for vehicles. Such as:

• the upgrading and facilitating of bus traffic;
• the reasonable use of private cars (difference between shopping and office hours, parking, etc.);
• urban planning (green areas, pedestrian streets).

For all the above measures, only a few are in existence (bus routes, difference between shopping and office hours), and these are either degraded or have little effect. Therefore, the only two instruments which have been effective until now in keeping atmospheric pollution at reasonable levels are:

• the inner circle (discouraging 20 %-30 % of private vehicles);
• catalytic vehicles (their number is continuously increasing).

The Legal Framework Concerns

Fuel Quality

• Reduction in SO₂ content by 0.7 % in heavy residue oil used in the greater Athens area and in diesel by 0.3 % (Common Ministerial Decision 260B/82);
• Use of "light" diesel fuel for public buses (Ministerial Decision 534/88);
• Distinction of diesel fuel into two types, for transportation and for heating, towards the reduction of atmospheric pollution (Common Ministerial Decisions 1543/91, 1545/91);
• Production/distribution of unleaded gasoline for the whole country (Common Ministerial Decision 93/87); Fuel quality control towards the protection of the environment (Law 1650/86, Common Ministerial Decision 1082/89).

Vehicles

• Restriction (inner circle) for the reduction of private car circulation in Athens’ city centre (Ministerial Decision 10317/83);
• Promotion of "clean vehicles" (Laws 1858/89, 1882/90);
• Initiatives for the substitution of old passenger and commercial vehicles (Laws 1921/91, 2052/92);
• Periodical technical control of vehicles (Presidential Decree 138/81);
• Obligation for technical control of vehicles (Law 1350/83);
• Roadside exhaust checks and fines for offending vehicles (Ministerial Decision 7333/85);
• Limits for taking emergency measures concerning atmospheric pollution (Common Ministerial Decision 11824/93).

Data Sources

During 1996 a network of ten air quality monitoring stations was in full operation in the metropolitan area of Athens and overseen by the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.

There exists comparable data since 1984 which is presented annually in an official report. The measured pollutants are: CO, NO, NO₂, O₃, SO₂ and smoke. Additionally, there are four inspection groups (three equipped with exhaust gas analysers and one for checking "cards") specialised for vehicles. During 1997, 8156 such inspections were performed.

The Municipality of Athens has an independent air pollution monitoring programme, with one permanent and one mobile station. They operate another four permanent stations equipped for car inspections. About 10,000 such inspections are executed every year. Another eight stations will be operated by the Ministry of Transportation. All the above-mentioned stations are measured on a regular basis. Apart from these organisations, there is a great number of different organisations such as universities, the National Observatory of Athens, research institutes, EU projects/initiatives (CORINAIR, HYDROSCOPE), etc. that are involved in air quality measurement and analysis.

Methods

The database produced for the measurement of air quality is based on hourly average values (based on minute automatic measurements) on a 24-hour basis.

Results

The database shows the pollution values and also the maps for traffic noise and car volume.