URBAN BUSES TODAY

You could say that Athenians don’t fully trust the urban bus system running in the capital today. Without saying that passengers travel faster by privately owned vehicles, the fact is that the urban buses are notoriously unreliable and one has to be standing up and crammed in most of the times.

Given the fact of the traffic problems on the Athenian streets, we probably should not have great demands from the companies that operate the buses and the trolleys. The bus lines on the streets offer easier access, the route consistency improves rapidly, the aged vehicles have been recalled and now all buses are air. Finally, as of date, EΤΗΕL. (the Thermal Buses Company) operate utilize 283 Diesel fueled buses and 121 with natural gas engines, making 16,000 daily routes, busing about 1,500,000 passengers.

Ι.L.P.A.P. (Electric Buses of Athens - Piraeus) utilize a total of 315 functioning trolleys 12 m in length and, 51 trolleys 18 m in length. They run a combined network of 349 klm spanning the areas of Athens and Piraeus. The daily number of routes covered is 1943 (average from the first semester of 2005). The trolleys cover 12 million km yearly, offering 100 million passenger seats and during 2004 moved 77 million riders. The average speed rate of trolleybuses is just over 20 km/hour.

Generally the urban buses and the trolley buses are safe, meaning only your bodily safety. There are many incidents of theft from handbags and pockets, therefore keep a close watch on your personal items is a great idea.

• Official Site of Athens Trolley (ILPAP)

Shopping

PAGONI
Huge variety of ties for all seasons and tastes.... more
EFTYCHIA
Original handmade ceramics in a variety of colors are found here. If you are lucky, you might see the artist... more
KOUKOUTSI
A shop that sells graphic t-shirts by designers from all over the world, in addition to handmade articles. ... more
LESHI TOU DISKOU
Small record store in the arcade next to the Opera-House with classical and a little jazz music.... more
ART BOOKSTORE KOAN
Art book store with many aesthetic choices from the areas of cinematography, photography, painting and a whole lot more. ... more
COMICON
Store for the comics fans with a big range of choices from the domain of the \\... more