[InTime News]
Easter holiday travel intensified on Thursday evening as tens of thousands left Athens and Thessaloniki ahead of the weekend. More than 200,000 vehicles passed through the Elefsina and Afidnes tolls in the past 48 hours, with heavy traffic reported on Athens Avenue and the national highway to Megara.
To ease congestion, a ban on truck traffic is in effect from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. In Thessaloniki, traffic is moving without major problems towards Halkidiki and Pieria. Traffic police reported 7,000 vehicles on the Thessaloniki-Moudania highway and 12,300 on Egnatia Odos. From the Malgara tolls, 17,650 vehicles left the city while 16,895 entered, highlighting the city’s growing popularity as a holiday destination.
Meanwhile, ferry ports in Attica saw long queues and full decks. From Easter Monday to Saturday, over 126,000 passengers are expected to depart from Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio, with 32 ferries departing on Friday alone.