Multiple requests prohibition transit trucks and heavy vehicles, since Sunday evening, on January 23, the company had submitted a report to Civil Protection Attica Routes, which is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Attiki Odos, as it claims in a statement, putting the government “in the spotlight.”.

«Η Attica Routes, S.A. through its representatives who attended the coordination meetings on the 21st^of and 23^of In January, the relevant agencies under the Minister of Civil Protection, as noted in the minutes, explicitly called from the outset for a preventive ban on trucks and heavy vehicles starting on the evening of Sunday, January 23 (as had been decided in similar circumstances in the past), while it was emphasized in particular that, despite the company’s readiness with 35 snowplows covering 70 kilometers, the increased traffic volume, combined with the expected extreme weather conditions, could pose risks both to driver safety and to the smooth operation of the highway,» states, among other things, the company that manages Attiki Odos.

The full announcement from ATTIKES DIADROMES S.A.:

«The Attica Routes, S.A. through its representatives who attended the coordination meetings on the 21st^of and 23^of In January, the relevant agencies under the Minister of Civil Protection, as noted in the minutes, explicitly called from the outset for a preventive ban on trucks and heavy vehicles starting on the evening of Sunday, January 23 (as had been decided in similar circumstances in the past), while it was emphasized in particular that, despite the company’s readiness with 35 snowplows covering 70 kilometers, the increased volume of traffic, combined with the expected extreme weather conditions, could pose risks both to driver safety and to the smooth operation of the highway.

Therefore:

At the meeting on the 21st^of January, the Attica Routes, S.A. and other concessionaires called for a ban on heavy vehicles and an official recommendation from the government to minimize travel within the urban area as much as possibleas well as the mandatory use of snow chains when driving. Decisions regarding these measures and traffic restrictions were deferred to the coordination meeting on the 23rd^of January.
At the coordination meeting on the 23rd^of January the Attica Routes, S.A. Through its representatives, it reiterated the need to reduce the number of vehicles on the road as early as the previous day, since the bad weather was expected—as we were informed by the relevant authorities—for Monday at noon. Specifically, he mentioned the need to close schools and ban trucks starting Sunday night—as had been done during the «Medea» storm (February 13–17, 2021)—and an official announcement by the government urging people to minimize travel in Athens, as had already been done by the Attica Routes, S.A. through its official Twitter account.

It is worth noting that all current highway concessionaires and operators agreed to the proposal for a preventive and, in any case, timely ban on trucks as well as the police presence at Traffic Management Centers and the increased presence of traffic officers at entrances and toll booths to enforce or implement any necessary traffic restrictions.

Regarding the above issues, and specifically with regard to trucks, and following interventions by regional governors against the precautionary ban on their movement, the Minister of Civil Protection took a clear stance, stating that the economic and supply chain must be safeguarded. Specifically, he emphasized that the government cannot close roads as a precautionary measure and proposed close cooperation between the Traffic Police and concessionaires, recommending that the Traffic Police intervene where necessary—either by immobilizing the trucksor by directing them behind salt spreaders so they can continue moving.

The police also agreed with this proposal, adding that, depending on the situation, they will issue relevant restrictions as needed through public announcements.

It should be noted that the Attica Routes, S.A. just as any operator or concessionaire [is not authorized] does not have the authority, under applicable law, to issue a decision or order restricting or prohibiting traffic on the highway it operates. They have the right to propose or request measures to restrict or prohibit traffic if deemed necessary for safety reasons, as they did in this case, during both coordination meetings; however, it has no authority to act on its own initiative and impose traffic restrictions or closures without a prior decision from the relevant Directorate of theGreek Police.

In this case, the authority responsible for closing the Attiki Odos highway is the Attica Traffic Police Directorate, under whose jurisdiction the Attica Odos Traffic Division falls.

The Attica Tollway Traffic Division’s coordination team had been on the scene since the early morning hours of Monday, January 24, at the Attica Tollway operations center, maintaining a complete overview of the situation and the problems caused by the sudden concentration of heavy vehicles on Attiki Odos.

In this context, the Traffic Police—having already received recommendations from the Ministry of Civil Protection during coordination meetings to intervene where deemed necessary— has confirmed through its representatives that it will take whatever action is necessary—including halting traffic and closing roads—and, having a full picture of the situation that had been unfolding since earlyearly this morning, it imposed a ban on truck traffic on Attiki Odos with a corresponding decision at 2:00 p.m.

It is worth noting that—unlike other highways—Attiki Odos, with its 50 on-ramps, requires a timely decision to close it, so that the Traffic Police can ensure they have all the necessary additional personnel in place at each entrance in a timely manner to prevent any heavy vehicles from entering. When severe weather conditions are underway, it is impossible to simultaneously ban heavy vehicles from all entrances to Attiki Odos, because it is not practically feasible for the Traffic Police to secure and deploy the necessary personnel to fully and promptly enforce the ban.

A highway such as Attiki Odos requires advance planning, and company representatives made persistent efforts to have traffic banned, especially for heavy vehicles, starting the day before.

The traffic ban imposed the previous day was not merely a matter of ensuring the smooth flow of traffic on Attiki Odos or any other major highway, but primarily a matter of protecting the safety of highway users. This alone should have been the motivation for the traffic ban from the outset, rather than whether or not the concessionaires could handle the management of «ELPIS.».

His reports TAny comparisons with «Medea» that are cited must be clarified with regard to the following key points.

The severe weather event «Medea» in February 2021 was handled using the same operational plan, but in the midst of lockdown and therefore with very little traffic.
The then leadership of the Ministry of Civil Protection, Mr. Michalis Chrysochoidis and Mr. N. Hardalias, had personally ordered a ban on heavy vehicles the previous day, fully complying with a corresponding request from ATTIKI OD.

But even in the past, during its more than 20 years of operation, the Attiki Odos has never become impassable, as in all such instances, the Traffic Police took the appropriate measures before extreme weather conditions set in.

Managing such situations is a multifaceted endeavor and requires a unified approach guided by the common good, as well as consensus among all stakeholders on a fundamental priority, which is none other than the safety of citizens. The company decided to mobilize all its resources, with its primary concern being the safe completion of the operation to free civilians and vehicles and restore the road to full operation.

At this point, The company would like to express its heartfelt thanks to the Hellenic Army, the Fire Department, and the Hellenic Police for their invaluable assistance, amid extreme weather conditions, in the operation to rescue citizens and vehicles over the past few days. We would also like to note that, in addition to the government’s assistance, the entire staff of Attiki Odos was working tirelessly at the scene.

For more than 20 years, Attiki Odos has been a model highway in terms of both infrastructure and management and operations. In the Over its 20 years of uninterrupted operation, Attiki Odos has managed to transform road travel in our country, raising the bar in the areas of safety and service provision, while remaining an integral part of daily life for thousands of people.

»Today, we are committed to continuing to operate with the same sense of responsibility to ensure safe routes and improve the quality of transportation for the benefit of all citizens.".