The Kanakaris-Corinthos counter-commutes were voted, but with opposition reservations

Despite the request of the opposition factions to be discussed in a separate meeting, in the presence of city bodies, the major traffic changes that will apply in the future in Patras were discussed and approved yesterday afternoon.

In the coming years, Corinthou, Kanakari, Maizonos (from Aratos until October 28th), Zaimi, Aratos, Konstantinoupoleos streets will be rerouted, while Agia Sophia will be rerouted.

Mr. Svolis, Aivalis and Psomas asked for an extension of a few days to study and discuss the issue in a new meeting, but the mayor Kostas Peletidis answered them that “there has not been an issue that has been requested for so many years in Patras” and that’s why did not accept the postponement.

As the responsible deputy mayor Anastasia Togiopoulou explained in her introduction to show that the conditions for implementation are imminent, the initial conception of the idea came in 1965, in 1986 it was included for the first time in the Urban Planning Plan and remained in its revision in 2011 and since then a series of studies have been carried out for the implementation of the plan with an implementation horizon of 2026.

At the meeting, the researcher Mr. Papadakos undertook to give answers, who explained that the study captures and compares the existing and future traffic operation. However, he made it clear that his own study took the objections as a given, as they had been pre-decided. Answering a series of questions, he assured that the studies do not present “more adverse conditions with the changes” and that in Aratos there will be no problem for large vehicles to turn to follow the route Kanakari-Arato-Maizonos-Konstantinopleos-Agia Sophia to exit the city. He also believes that small buses will be able to pass through the entire length of Kanakari.

“We believe that the difficulties that will arise, respecting the parking arrangements, have been foreseen. An important problem in Patras that reduces traffic capacity is illegal parking. All these are regulated by the study, whether they will be observed remains to be proven in practice,” Mr. Papadakos emphasized and made it clear that the changes have been approved by every competent department of the ministry and the Region. However, the measurements made did not include the burden caused by the Othonos-Amalia cycle path.

Kostas Svolis he insisted that the changes are implemented based on the Doxiadis study, which envisioned Riga Feraio as a bus route and thousands of parking spaces in Ypsila Alonia, the port and Georgiou Square. “As a matter of fact, the Doxiadis study becomes invalid. Now we get in and out relatively easily. Will we gain anything with the changes? No. Will we have a worse or better outcome? We haven’t discussed that,” he said.

Vassilis Aivalis he is positive about the changes, but insisted that the study does not describe how parking will be managed. “Even in old Patras, we did not foresee how the permanent residents would be served. If the same happens in the Lower City, it will be a disaster,” he stressed. Finally, he stated that he was concerned that the bicycle path had not been taken into account, while he was also worried about Agia Sophia.

Petros Psomas declared in favor of the implementation of the passed decisions, but wanted to highlight the question of his fellow citizens: “Is Patras ready for such a change?” Have we prepared Patras for these changes? In other European cities there is parking, transport, large streets around the pedestrian centre, policing by the Municipality itself, catering hours and order is maintained. Transport experts take them for granted, what do we have in Patras today? The municipal authority is responsible for the chaos,” he said.

The mayor Kostas Peletidis closed the conversation. “We don’t have public mass transportation, but for this to go forward, a structure must be created. If you cannot get into the city, you will go by means of transport, as is done everywhere. We are in contact with the municipal KTEL. We have issues ahead of us, we raised the tram issue. Regional parking lots are necessary,” he pointed out.

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