roads closed by his decision and responsibility traffic officer. This is indicated by representatives of the concessionaires, that is, the consortiums entrusted with the operation and maintenance of the main highways. However, they note that they agree with yesterday’s and the day before yesterday’s interruptions in traffic, as experience shows that few drivers know how to put chains on their cars, increasing the risk of accidents.

There have been traffic disruptions in some parts of it since Sunday. Attica Road And her Athens – Lamia National Highway, from Kaliftaki junction to Kato Kifisia. According to representatives of Nea Odos (which manages the Metamorfosi – Scarfea section of the national highway), these breaks were fully justified. “When the phenomenon began with greater intensity on Sunday afternoon, more than 50 vehicles were stopped on the highway in Ritson. They stopped inside the road, in any lane, to put on chains. If at that moment the traffic police had not decided to close the road, serious problems would have arisen. evaluates the head of the company. Since Friday, the company has had 88 snowplows and 600 workers to keep the road open due to snow, Nea Odos said.

The position of Attica Odo is similar. As specified in the company, the road was blocked by order of the traffic police for clearing with snowplows and all other hours were in motion without problems. There were also no vehicle jams yesterday, except for the fact that at some point a line of cars formed at the exit of Marathonos Street, which stopped to put on chains.

This is an international practice, officials say, and emphasize that although all drivers now have chains, few know how to put them on wheels.

“Motorway closures as a precautionary measure are common practice, not a Greek invention,” says the head of the concession company. “In the United States, for example, highways were closed in Washington last year after a heavy snowfall. Sometimes preventive measures are needed to avoid vehicle hijacking. The last word, of course, belongs to Traffic.”

Hope Experience.

Recall that a year ago, on January 24, thousands of cars were stuck in Attiki-Odos due to a heavy snowstorm. The state blamed the mistreatment on the part of the company and set compensation for the victims in the amount of 2,000 euros per vehicle. As it turned out his interview at “Kathimerini” on Sunday Minister of Infrastructure Costas Ah. Karamanlis, as a result, 11,808 claims for compensation were filed, of which 3,990 were satisfied, while in addition to the compensation part, the case is also being investigated in court. This serious incident is believed to have affected how such incidents are dealt with, with authorities acting more “aggressively” in preventive road closures, even when conditions are not particularly extreme.