GREECE: PRIVATE CARS BANNED FROM ATHENS TO COMBAT HEAVY POLLUTION DURING A HEATWAVE

Record ID: 217108

  • Title: GREECE: PRIVATE CARS BANNED FROM ATHENS TO COMBAT HEAVY POLLUTION DURING A HEATWAVE
  • Date: 4th July 1996
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JULY 4, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GENERAL VIEWS OF ATHENS, ROOF TOPS AND SKYLINE 0.09 2. SLV POLICE STOP CARS AT ATHENS CENTRE 0.26 3. LV TRAFFIC, PEOPLE ON MOPEDS AND MOTORCYCLES 0.37 4. LV QUEUE OF TRAFFIC, POLICEMAN TALKING TO LORRY DRIVER 0.53 5. LV POLICE WATCHING TRAFFIC 1.03 6. LV EMPTY STREETS,
  • Embargoed: 19th July 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ATHENS, GREECE
  • City:
  • Country: Greece
  • Reuters ID: LVABEC5UCSRJE0M4RPI5TBS02L9V
  • Story Text: - INTRO: Greece has banned private cars from its capital city Athens as an emergency measure to combat a heatwave and heavy air pollution. People are being urged to stay at home.

    ----------------------------------------------------------- With temperatures soaring close to 40 celsius and an absence of wind, Greece's environment ministry banned all private cars from Athens on Thursday (July 4), ordered half the city's taxis off the streets, and told nearby industries to cut production by 30 percent to curb pollution.

    The ban is due to be enforced until Friday night (July 5).

    It appealed to Athenians to stay indoors, eat and dress lightly and if necessary to go to designated state air-conditioned buildings, indoor stadiums, town halls and hospitals to avoid heatstroke.

    The weather service said high temperatures would persist throughout the weekend. Private cars are often banned from the Athens centre in the summer months to curb pollution.

    Lack of wind, heavy industry and fumes from about a million cars which choke the city's narrow streets trap a thick grey cloud known as the "nefos" over Athens.

    Hundreds of people died in the summer of 1987 from the combined effects of the nefos and a heatwave.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register