The Municipal Council of Thessaloniki has approved new times for loading and unloading goods and a ban on trucks passing through the historic centre, with Mayor Stelios Angeloudis stressing that the aim is to improve traffic in the city, especially after the start of construction on the Viaduct.
According to the new Regulation, which came about after consultation with the agencies involved, on all streets in the municipality of Thessaloniki it is permitted:
-loading and unloading of trucks with a payload of up to 8 tonnes, during the following days and times: Monday to Friday from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. the following morning and at weekends from 5:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon until 7:00 a.m. on Monday morning. On public holidays, food will be provided free of charge.
-loading and unloading of trucks with a payload of up to 3.5 tons, from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, exclusively at loading and unloading points and loading and unloading of trucks with a payload of up to 1.5 tons, from Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, exclusively at loading and unloading points.
– exceptionally, exclusively for the distribution of ice and ice cubes, the loading and unloading of trucks with a payload of up to 3.5 tons is permitted, from April 1st to October 30th, during all 24 hours.
Loading and unloading in bus lanes is prohibited during operating hours, while loading and unloading times for trucks weighing up to 3.5 tons are specified on all pedestrian streets from Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00. Exceptionally and especially on the pedestrian streets of the markets of the historic shopping center “Vatikioti” and “Vlali” (Kapani), loading and unloading times are specified for trucks with a payload of up to 3.5 tons: a) from Tuesday to Friday from 02:30 to 07:00 the next morning, b) on weekends from 17:00 on Saturday afternoon to 07:00 on Monday and c) on holidays from 19:00 on the previous working day to 07:00 on the morning of the next working day.
Parking of trucks with a payload of up to 3.5 tons is permitted at the loading and unloading docks, for a maximum duration of 20 minutes per hour.