The Greek police are preparing to launch a new traffic-management unit aimed at reducing congestion and helping drivers move through some of the busiest roads in the Athens metropolitan area.
The new unit, known as KOMVOS, is expected to begin operating within hours. It will consist of 138 police officers, supported by 28 motorcycles and seven drone operators, according to a report by Vassilis Lampropoulos for Mega News 104.6.
The operation will focus on dozens of congestion hotspots across the wider Athens area, where approximately 2.5 million vehicles travel each day.
How the KOMVOS unit will operate
The unit will gather information from 235 traffic cameras and 15 drones to monitor traffic conditions and identify areas where congestion is building.
Police officers will then intervene directly to regulate traffic. Among other measures, they will be able to bypass traffic signals when necessary or help accelerate the flow of vehicles around accident scenes.
The goal is to reduce traffic jams and prevent drivers from becoming trapped at key points across the metropolitan area.
54 key traffic points
The operation will initially target 54 locations across Attica, the region surrounding Athens.
In central Athens, the targeted roads include Syggrou Avenue, Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, Panepistimiou Street, Alexandras Avenue, Kifisias Avenue and Ardittou Street.
In western Attica, the focus will include Schistou in Aspropyrgos and Athens Avenue.
In the southern part of the metropolitan area, police will target Venizelou Eleftheriou Avenue, Vouliagmenis Avenue, Akti Miaouli in Piraeus, Iroon Politechniou and Grigoriou Lambraki.
In the northern suburbs, Kifisias Avenue will also be among the targeted locations.
Athens loses six days a year to traffic
Traffic congestion is a major daily problem in the Greek capital. An average of 62 traffic accidents involving property damage occur in Athens each day, according to official figures, contributing to traffic jams.
The average Athens resident spends 143 hours a year stuck in traffic, equivalent to approximately six full days.
The amount of time lost to congestion has also increased significantly over the past two years. According to the figures cited in the report, annual time lost in traffic has risen by 32 hours per year, from 111 hours to 143 hours.
The KOMVOS unit is intended to provide a more direct police response at the city’s most congested points, using real-time information from cameras and drones to intervene when traffic conditions deteriorate.
