Athens inner Daktylios limit

] file:Daktylios-athens.svg, 200px, Athens Daktylios symbol

''Daktylios'' ( el, Δακτύλιος, lit=ring) is the name given to the road space rationing or alternate-day travel introduced in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

in July 1979, which remains even today. Unlike congestion pricing systems, it does not operate on the basis of drivers paying fees for entering the city centre. Instead, it depends on the

parity Parity may refer to: * Parity (computing) ** Parity bit in computing, sets the parity of data for the purpose of error detection ** Parity flag in computing, indicates if the number of set bits is odd or even in the binary representation of the r ...

of the date and of the vehicle's registration plate, the vehicle type as well as the time of the week/month. There are two ''Daktylios'' areas.

Inner ''Daktylios''

Vehicles are allowed into the Inner (or Small) ''Daktylios'', which covers a small area in the city center, depending primarily on the

of the date and of the vehicle's registration plate, the vehicle type as well as the time of the week/month. On odd dates, only vehicles with an odd plate number are allowed to proceed into the ''Daktylios''. On even dates, only cars with even plate numbers are allowed. Lorries and other heavy vehicles are always banned, while residents within the Inner ''Daktylios'' area use a special pass that grants them access on all times of the year. The restrictions are removed on weekends, bank holidays and during certain months (usually between July and October), with the dates changing every year depending on the expected levels of traffic.

Outer ''Daktylios''

The Outer (or Large) ''Daktylios'' covers a much wider area and is implemented only during times of extreme congestion or high pollution. It affects only heavy vehicles and certain roads within the area covered are not subjected to the Outer ''Daktylios'' restrictions.

Green ''Daktylios''

The Green ''Daktylios'' is a scheme that allows electric cars,

hybrid cars A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids. The basic princip ...

and all vehicles produced after 2011 that produce less than 140g/km of access to the Inner ''Daktylios'' anytime.

Criticism

The ''Daktylios'' scheme has been criticised by transport engineers for being ineffective, with the primary reason being that many people own two cars, one with odd and one with even plate numbers, granting them daily access and the other one being that it is occasionally violated. However, there are no plans to phase it out or replace it with a congestion pricing system.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* http://daktylios.ypeka.gr/
Athens Ring
Sustainable transport Transportation planning Transport in Athens