The first wave of urban residents who left for their holidays peaked this weekend. However the amount of travelers was significantly smaller than 2009, according to traffic police estimates.
Partly on account of the economic crisis and the increased price of petrol, but also because of the truck owners’ strike and the uncertainty about whether travelers would be able to find fuel at their destination. The number of private cars traveling is also significantly less than last year.
Seats on inter-city buses or trains were fully booke as well as on all domestic flights.
Those opting to travel to the Aegean islands and Crete by boat were fewer than 2009; with both the number of routes and the number of passengers reduced by 8-9%.
Specifically The Shipping Ministry reported that 30 ships carrying a total of 35,814 passengers and 6,684 vehicles left Piraeus on Saturday while on the same Saturday the previous year there had been 33 ships carrying 38,564 passengers and 6,675 vehicles.
Another 31 ships from Pireaus and 19 ships from Rafina are scheduled to leave on Sunday.
(source: ana-mpa)
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