Today marks the launch of the Hellenic Police’s new integrated operational system for traffic management, “Traffic Commander,” as well as the “K.O.M.V.O.S.” (Central Team for Road Congestion Mitigation), which will intervene in traffic jams using cameras, drones, motorcyclists, and conventional traffic officers.
This system, set up exclusively to manage traffic on the roads of Attica, began operating in a “pilot” phase during the summer, but the real test will come in mid-September, when schools reopen and the city is back in full swing.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Specifically, “Traffic Commander,” as the officials in charge emphasize, by leveraging personnel, technology, and artificial intelligence, is essentially the “solution” for managing the traffic problem on the streets of the Athens basin, given that Attica serves more than 4 million residents, while approximately 700,000 vehicles enter the center of Athens alone every day, traveling on a road network that exceeds 1,623 kilometers.
In fact, they estimate that once peak traffic begins, they will handle approximately 50,000 traffic incidents daily. More than 138 KOMVOS police officers—both at the operations center and on the streets—will be on duty daily along major thoroughfares.
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The operations center, headquartered in the Traffic Monitoring and Control Operations Room (THEPEK) at the Athens Police Headquarters, has been fully modernized and will collect and subsequently analyze data from 24 different sources, such as the 235 traffic cameras, traffic incidents, roadwork, weather conditions, public transportation, and operational reports, providing a unified real-time operational overview, traffic analysis, and support for the coordination of available resources, creating a unified and continuously updated picture of the situation. The plan also includes up to 10 drones that will monitor the metropolitan area and provide officers with a real-time view, enabling immediate and targeted intervention by Traffic Police motorcycle officers, under the guidance of the Center, during peak hours.
This system was developed by Hellenic Police officials in an effort to address the problems arising, among other things, from the sheer volume of information and the multitude of sources, the lack of a unified operational picture, and wasted time. The aim is to put an end to the daily inconvenience experienced by drivers on the roads of the Athens metropolitan area.
The goal now is to ensure a faster response, safer intervention, and better coordination among the relevant agencies. According to the Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, once the system is fully deployed, it may become possible—gradually and over time—to improve traffic flow by as much as 25%.
As the director of the Attica Traffic Police, Brigadier General Sotiris Kaltampanis, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), “Traffic Commander and K.O.M.V.O.S. are an operational model that connects the Operations Center with the Traffic Police units, the officers in the field, available resources, and command.”
“K.O.M.V.O.S. is a flexible team with a single mission: To arrive immediately at so-called problem spots and intervene, so that we can promptly address incidents that cause traffic gridlock on the streets of Attica. We believe that with this team, we will address these situations more effectively and promptly, help ease traffic congestion, and reduce the time drivers spend stuck in traffic, thereby improving their daily lives. “In any case, a trial period under adverse conditions will be necessary to fully demonstrate the effectiveness of the operational plan,” notes the director of the Attica Traffic Police.
“Difficult” Spots Have Been Mapped – Areas for Traffic Enforcement
It should be noted that a comprehensive “mapping” has been carried out of the so-called “difficult” traffic spots, where special emphasis will be placed.
* In the Athens Sector: Syngrou Avenue, Vas. Sofias Avenue, Panepistimiou Avenue, Alexandras Avenue – Kifissias Avenue, and Arditou – Vouliagmenis.
* In Southeast Attica: Eleftherios Venizelos Avenue and Vouliagmenis Avenue.
* In the Kallithea Sector: Poseidonos Avenue.
* In the Piraeus Sector: Miaouli Promenade, Polytechnic Heroes Avenue, and Grigorios Lambrakis Avenue.
* In the Western Attica Sector: Schisto Avenue, Aspropyrgos Avenue, and Athens Avenue.
* In Northeastern Attica: Kifissias Avenue and Mesogeion Avenue.
According to the plan, as soon as it is detected by a traffic officer, a drone, or another source that an emergency has occurred—to prevent further traffic congestion— there will be an immediate response from the team’s motorcyclists, who will take control of traffic signals and, among other things, manage traffic flow. This special traffic “task force” is expected to address the “inability” of patrol cars to reach the scene quickly and handle the incident, as they get stuck in traffic. Timely intervention will prevent the “domino effect” of traffic congestion. The same will apply in cases of mechanical breakdowns or minor accidents.
Source: APE
