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Transportation Research Procedia 24 (2017) 418–424
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3rd Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility, 3rd CSUM 2016, 26 – 27 May 2016, Volos, Greece

Urban Sea Transportation in Greece, The case of Skiathos

Athanasios
Athanasios E.
E. Zlatoudis
a*
Zlatoudisa*
a
aAZ
AZ Consulting,
Consulting, Skiathos
Skiathos Island
Island 37002,
37002, Greece
Greece

Abstract
Abstract

The
The need
need for
for urban
urban connectivity
connectivity in in the
the cities
cities ofof northern
northern Europe
Europe has has put
put forward
forward the the use
use of
of any
any means
means of of transport.
transport. Cities
Cities like
like
Hamburg,
Hamburg, Stockholm and Venice that traditionally were industrial and commercial centers have developed a significant network
Stockholm and Venice that traditionally were industrial and commercial centers have developed a significant network
of metro, trains,
of metro, trains, trams
trams andand buses
buses for
for the
the wellbeing
wellbeing of of the
the local
local residents
residents and and visitors.
visitors. The
The essence
essence of of the
the interchange
interchange of of these
these
networks of
networks of transportation
transportation is is beneficial
beneficial forfor the
the cities
cities themselves
themselves for for workers´
workers´ needs
needs as as well
well as
as for
for locals
locals and
and visitors,
visitors, for
for day
day to
to day
day
living
living and
and recreation.
recreation. What What makes
makes thethe reference
reference to to these
these large
large cities
cities interesting
interesting by by definition
definition is is the
the similarities
similarities that
that they
they have
have with
with
respect
respect toto the
the landscape,
landscape, land,
land, sea
sea and
and islets,
islets, and
and the
the need
need forfor aa water
water based
based means
means of of transportation
transportation as as well
well as as the
the interchange
interchange with
with
the
the already established network of urban transportation. Another bond between these three cities is that all of them have
already established network of urban transportation. Another bond between these three cities is that all of them have large
large ports
ports
so
so one
one might
might take
take itit for
for granted
granted thatthat any
any place
place onon earth
earth having
having these
these similarities
similarities a) a) large
large city
city with
with port,
port, b)
b) specific
specific landscape
landscape with
with
rivers
rivers and
and c)
c) given
given needs
needs forfor connectivity,
connectivity, has has established
established an an urban
urban transportation
transportation network
network that
that includes
includes aa water
water based
based transportation
transportation
(river
(river and
and sea).
sea). Despite
Despite thethe fact
fact that
that Greece
Greece has has the
the most
most extensive
extensive coastcoast line
line in
in Europe
Europe withwith aa network
network of of maritime
maritime transportation
transportation
from
from the
the shore
shore to to and
and between
between the the islands,
islands, adequate
adequate systems
systems of of urban
urban transportation
transportation has has not
not been
been developed
developed yet yet i.e.
i.e. in
in Piraeus,
Piraeus,
Volos
Volos or have just started like in Thessaloniki. One of the main reasons, despite the need, is the difficulty in state legislation for
or have just started like in Thessaloniki. One of the main reasons, despite the need, is the difficulty in state legislation for aa
sea
sea urban
urban transportation
transportation connecting
connecting a) a) main
main cities
cities like
like Volos
Volos and and smaller
smaller cities
cities inside
inside the
the Pagasetic
Pagasetic Gulf
Gulf or or b)
b) an
an island´s
island´s centre
centre
such
such asas Skiathos
Skiathos TownTown withwith touristically
touristically developed
developed coastal
coastal areas
areas in in the
the same
same way way that
that urban
urban transportation
transportation operates
operates in in a)
a) the
the
aforementioned
aforementioned large large cities,
cities, as
as well
well as,
as, b)
b) the
the network
network of of small
small towns
towns along
along thethe coastline
coastline ofof Lake
Lake Como
Como in in Italy.
Italy. The
The purpos
purpos ee of
of
this
this article
article is
is to
to show
show that
that the
the creation
creation of of aa water
water based
based urban
urban transportation
transportation network,
network, despite
despite the
the difference
difference in in scale,
scale, compared
compared to to
the
the other
other European
European citiescities is,
is, a)
a) necessary
necessary withwith respect
respect to to town
town and and local
local residents’
residents’ interests,
interests, b)b) visitors’
visitors’ needs,
needs, c) c) benefi
benefi cial
cial to
to the
the
sustainability
sustainability of of the
the local
local economy
economy and and the
the local
local environment
environment and and itit is
is not
not only
only evitable
evitable butbut aa large
large number
number of of best
best practices
practices forms
forms
of
of equivalent
equivalent networks
networks already
already exist.
exist.
©
© 2016
2016 The
The Authors.
Authors. Published
Published byElsevier B.V.
© 2017 The under
Peer-review Authors. Published byElsevier
responsibility by Elsevier
of the
B.V.
B.V. committee of the 3rd CSUM 2016.
organizing
Peer-review
Peer-review under responsibility of
under responsibility of the
the organizing
organizing committee
committee of of the
the 3rd
3rd CSUM
CSUM 2016. 2016.
Keywords:Water
Keywords:Water Public
Public Transport;
Transport; Sustainable
Sustainable Transport;
Transport; coastal
coastal and
and island
island urban
urban connectivity
connectivity in
in Greece;
Greece; local
local economy;
economy;
** Corresponding
Corresponding author.
author. E-mail
E-mail address:
address: athanasioszlatoudis@gmail.com
athanasioszlatoudis@gmail.com

1.
1. Introduction
Introduction

1.1 Cities
1.1 Cities history
history
Numerous
Numerous civilizations
civilizations from
from the
the beginning
beginning of
of human
human history
history till
till today have significant
today have significant examples
examples of of cities
cities that
that
started as inter-crossing points of reference between open sea trade and inland cultivation and production,
started as inter-crossing points of reference between open sea trade and inland cultivation and production, with with
vicinity to
vicinity to rivers
rivers and
and their
their deltas
deltas and/or
and/or even
even covered
covered from
from the
the hot
hot sun
sun carved
carved in
in rocks
rocks as
as Petra
Petra once
once was.
was.
General typical - out of local range of control –
General influence of typical - out of local range of control – parameters, have led many powerful cities
influence of parameters, have led many powerful cities to
to decline
decline as
as
well
well as others to last along hundreds and thousands of years with continuous human presence and economic activity
as others to last along hundreds and thousands of years with continuous human presence and economic activity

2352-1465 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 3rd CSUM 2016.
10.1016/j.trpro.2017.05.092
 Athanasios E. Zlatoudis / Transportation Research Procedia 24 (2017) 418–424 419

until today.
Cities like London, Hamburg, Antwerp, Stockholm, Venice, Constantinople, Alexandria, Amsterdam and Hong
Kong are a few examples of cities belonging in this category irrespectively of the accurate city’s age.

1.2 Cities and economy

Along this analysis between cities’ rise and fall emerge a vital relation among the city’s willingness and
capability of staying alive as a unique homogeneous entity and the necessity of meeting the continuous threats of
change by creating new, diversified competitive and strategic advantages.
The growth of cities in terms of increases in citizens’ total number, expansion of local economy’ GDP,
improvement on citizens’ quality of life and the city’s welfare in general is totally related not only to the
isochronous improvements on the means of humans and goods transportation but also to the creation of an advanced
system of efficient interchange among these means as parts of the unique and unified grid of a city’s transportation
system.
In a global economy, where cities compete for investment and talent, it is not only the quantity, but the quality of
transport that matters.

1.3 Cities and transportation

As these cities expand the essence of urban planning and the necessity of taking many parameters into
consideration at an urban decision makers’ level, is more and more identifiable.
Therefore,as an outcome of this complicated coexistence of stakeholders wills that constitute the essence of the
city, an adequate complicated system of urban transportation has risen along in order to (or at least was meant to)
meet this need for urban connectivity, putting forward the use of any means of transport.
Always under the prism of local economic development cities like Hamburg, Stockholm and Venice that
traditionally were industrial and commercial centres have developed a significant network of metros, trains, trams,
and buses for the wellbeing of the local residents and visitors.
The essence of the interchange of these networks of transportation is beneficial for the cities themselves for
workers´ needs as well as for locals and visitors, for day to day living and recreation.
What makes the reference to these large cities interesting by definition is the similarities that they have with
respect to the landscape, land, sea and islets. As an outcome of this they have integrated the available water
corridors in their transportation systems so water buses and water taxi operate offering a value adding parameter on
their existed system.
Another bond between these three cities is that all of them have large ports so one might take it for granted that
any place on earth having these similarities a) large city with port, b) specific landscape with rivers and c) given
needs for connectivity, has established an urban transportation network that includes a water based transportation
(river and sea), which is not necessarily the case.
As a result of its importance to further local economic development, a large number of academics have
contacted research on the relation between cities’ wellbeing and the efficiency of its own system of urban
transportation for the cities of the developed world.

1.4 Transportation in the EU member states

The importance of mobility is a basic need for societies and a fundamental issue towards the very creation of
the EU. Characteristic is the EU’s transportation policy according to which “Public authorities are responsible for
providing the infrastructure needed and defining and enforcing the rules on its use, so as to maximise the positive
impact on economic development and welfare. And this must be done in ways that minimise pressure on the
environment and prevent accidents. Some of these responsibilities are met at the European level.”
Nevertheless, the EEC Treaty sought a common policy for inland transport, namely roads, rail and inland
waterways, but not for maritime and air transport (Article 84 EEC, Article 100 TFEU).”
Urban transportation constitutes a vital role towards EU target of sustainable development of the cities. Land
transportation can be divided to two categories a) individual and b) mass.

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Individual transportation is covered with private cars, motorbikes, walking and bicycling whereas mass
transportation takes place with the use of buses, trams, metro, train, sea transportation (in cities that have sea or river
coast line) and taxi (Pantazis et al 2013).

2. Transportation in Greece

Greece is an EU country with common land borders only with Bulgaria with regards to other Member States.
With regards to land transportation infrastructure Greece has a relatively good highway and railway network, the
morphology though of Greek mainland and the large number of inhabited islands has led to the development of a
network of ports relative wide if compared with the country’s total population
With a total coast line length of 15,021 km, Greece has in operation 1,334 ports. (ECORYS 2006), as well as 40
airports. (www.ypa.gr)
Coastal transport in Greece is a network of mainland-to-island, island-to-island and mainland-to-mainland
connections that concern the transportation of passengers, vehicles and goods. It is a very complex network of
coastal transport lines, structured into thirty-four main lines. Shipping companies cover the transport needs of the
islands, with a fleet of ships of all types, carrying approximately thirty million passengers and seven million vehicles
per year (Pantazis et al 2013).

2.1. Urban transportation in Greek cities

Urban transportation in Greece has a totally different status compared to other EU member states.
Unfortunately, Greek cities did not have an isochronous growth compared to other European cities. For
example, there is always a lack of coordination and cooperation between the cities stakeholders’ wills and priority of
needs and the wills of central government with regards to urban decision making.
Many times this bottleneck was responsible for less economic growth and reduction in quality of life. In Thessaloniki
forexample the net of urban transportation means still do not include metro in full operation, having said that only in
2015 another important section that of sea urban transportation was meant to be placed on action.

a b

Figure 1. (a) Land urban means of transportation; (b) Thessaloniki planned urban sea transportation

2.2 Legal Framework of urban transportation in Greece

According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks the operation of urban transportation in
Athens is regulated and the official company for receiving the public service is OASA (www.oasa.gr) and the
equivalent company for Thessaloniki is OASTH (www.oasth.gr)
Urban transportation services in the rest Greek cities, apart from Rhodes, are offered by joint ventures companies
belonging to the bus owners under the name “KTEL”, which are also activated in the intercity transportation (Law
2963/2001, Law 3920/2011, Law 4199/2013).

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 Athanasios E. Zlatoudis / Transportation Research Procedia 24 (2017) 418–424 421

2.3. Urban Sea transportation in Greek coastal and island cities

Despite the fact that Greece has the most extensive coast line in Europe with a network of maritime
transportation from the shore to and between the islands, adequate systems of urban transportation systems that
included sea means of transportation, has not been developed yet i.e. in Piraeus, Volos or have just started like in
Thessaloniki.
One of the main reasons, despite the need, is the difficulty in state legislation for a sea urban transportation
connecting a) main cities like Volos and smaller cities inside the Pagasetic Gulf or b) an island´s centre such as
Skiathos Town with touristic developed coastal areas in the same way that urban transportation operates in a) the
aforementioned large cities, as well as, b) the network of small towns along the coastline of Lake Como in Italy.

2.4. Legal framework of Sea Transportation in Greece

With regards to sea transportation the Ministry of Mercantile Marine and Island Policy has issued a legal
framework for the sea transportation of humans and goods, maintaining two categories of scheduled sea lines, a) a
Main line being the one that connects land ports with island ports or ports between islands that they do not belong to
the same prefecture and the they are not a local line. Whereas b) a Local line is the one connecting land and island
ports or only island ports that do belong to the same prefecture or they are less than 3 nm away from each other or
they have less importance in the internal sea transportation network of Greece, irrespectively of where they
administratively belong to.(Law 2253.1-31.1/34144/15)
Apparently and despite the efforts of the last 20 years in Thessaloniki for the creation of an urban sea
transportation network, apparently still today there is not a legal framework for launching and operating such a
network.

3. Area of interest

Although an analysis of the area of Volos and the cities on the coast line of the Pagasetikos Gulf might have
been interesting due to its similarities with Thessaloniki and its Thermaikos Gulf, Skiathos island has been chosen as
the area of analysis for a number of reasons, mainly due to the knowledge of local reality being myself an
entrepreneur based in Skiathos as well as being member of the Local Government Council for the last 10 years.
Although more than half of the population of Greece stay in the general areas of Athens and Thessaloniki there
is another half of the population spread all over the Greek territory. A significant percentage of this 50% of the
population stays on the Greek archipelago, where exactly due to the essence of insularity they have a total different
priority in terms of their needs compared to the population on the Greek mainland. The cost for the maintenance and
investment in infrastructure is larger than in mainland. Permanent staying can be difficult due to certain constraints
that arose from the very nature of an island i.e. natural borders, cost of transportation etc.
Skiathos Island is the 79th among all Mediterranean islands in terms of land size and 45th among the islands of
the Greek archipelago. As part of the region of Thessaly, Regional Unity of North Sporades is3rd in size after
Skopelos and Alonissos and first in population with 6088 people living on a permanent basis on the island.
It is an established tourist destination, receiving by plane in 2015 159.492 visitors from abroad, as well as
16.048from internal destinations mainly from Athens (www.ypa.gr), 8.220 visitors from cruise ships (Union of
Greek Ports ΕΛΙΝΕ) and 318.177 visitors from Ferry Boats.

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422 Athanasios E. Zlatoudis / Transportation Research Procedia 24 (2017) 418–424
a b

Figure 2. (a) Map of Greece, Greek Archipelago; (b) Map of region of Thessaly, Regional Unity of North Sporades Islands

Skiathos operates as a transit area both in terms of humans and goods transportation since guests with their final
holiday destination Skopelos and Alonissos who travel by plain, use the airport “Alexandros Papadiamantis” and has
the capabilities in supplying with guests premises both to the South Pelion region as well as the North Evia region.
With regards to goods transportation a number of companies which are based on the island since almost 60% of
the economy of the Regional Unity take place in Skiathos, also have outlets in Alonissos and Skopelos, the latter being
supplied in this way not only directly from the mainland but also by the vicinal island.

3.1. Skiathos Urban Transportation

Skiathos has one town and is mainly developed along its southern coastline and specifically on the two sides of
the road connecting Skiathos with Koukounaries Bay.
The service of urban bus transportation is covered by five buses, two of which belong to individuals and three to
Skiathos Municipality operating under individuals under open call of interest and competition.
The system of urban transportation includes taxi, sea taxi, chartered speed boats and ferry boats for transits from
Skopelos and Alonissos to the airport, chartered buses for transfers, a smaller bus connecting the city with the area of
Kalivia and the Monastery of the Annunciation of the Virgin.

3.2. Skiathos sea urban transportation

What is of significant importance is the lack of sea urban transportation, or at least the service with the adequate
legal framework that could be calledas such. In order to clarify myself I should state a few axioms that exist on the
Greek Urban Decision Making.
a b

Figure 3. (a) Map of Skiathos; (b) Southern coastline of Skiathos

The majority if not the sum of the Greek legislation in all forms of activity i.e. urban transportation takes under
consideration the needs and the priority of the needs of Mainland’s population of Greece, it is seldom in the very case
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 Athanasios E. Zlatoudis / Transportation Research Procedia 24 (2017) 418–424 423

that it exists at all, the consideration at a decision making level of the local reality.
The relation between the level of strength of a city with the quantity and quality of means of transportation that
constitute the grid of each city’s transportation system, despite the difference in scale from city to city, it has the same
institutional outcome with regards to local economic development.
The government must give a boost to the thriving efforts of all island regions to sustain their competitive advantages
in the tourism industry and this can start with gradual upgrade of the legal framework that can operate as a path to
follow and not as an enemy to everybody who dares to think out of the box.
In Skiathos for the last 35 years operates an urban sea transportation connecting Achladias bay with the Old Port of
Skiathos and at least 10 years connecting Tzaneria and Kanapitsa bays with the Old Port.
This local reality has appeared due to objective reasons; there is not something better like a shuttle boat service
compared to available buses, the vicinity to the town implies that most of the times the buses will be full so they will
have to wait when an alternative does exist, the price is not high compared to bus and taxi fares, the number of residents
in the general area of Achladias Bay makes such a service economically viable for the provider.
Despite the existence of the actual need for transportation, the willingness of the hotel and apartments owners,
restaurant proprietors, local authorities and of course the service provider, all of these action and connectivity that
operates as a value adding factor for the tourist destination as a unity, does not have still the adequate legal framework
as urban transportation and instead operate still as boats for daily excursions.

4. Conclusion

The legal framework for sea transportation in Greece must at last be upgraded in order to meet the needs and the
standards of today.
Skiathos has many similarities with the majority of Greek archipelago islands and therefore certain proposals for
Skiathos in this analysis can find ground for application in other islands.
For Skiathos in particular, the operation of “Alexandros Papadiamantis” airport by Fraport-Copelouzos
Consortium from November 2016 onwards is expected to create a new boost on tourist arrivals. Skiathos might have
the larger number of hotel and apartments’ beds at a Prefecture of Thessaly level though it operates as a transit area
for those who choose Skopelos and Alonnisos and South Pelion for their holidays.
Sea urban transportation in Skiathos and in the rest of the islands must be legally organized on the basis of
“KTEL” since this will bring ahead a joint venture company for with a long past experience of operation already exist.
This will make inevitable the creation of urban sea stations along the southern part of Skiathos coastline boosting
the mobility of guest from any part of the island to another between Skiathos and Koukounaries and will generate
more expenditure.
Another important parameter is that the sea corridors already exist so there is not any need for intensive and
expensive investment in infrastructure.
In terms of sustainability, when an adequate quality of such transportation service is available a shift from the
individual to the mass mean of transportation is forecasted to occur.
In terms of tourist destination customer satisfaction, the more integrated a city’s system of transportation is the
more user friendly is classified and that indeed is a parameter influencing the choice for holidays destination.
An alteration also on the two categories of local sea transportation lines according to the Ministry of Mercantile
Marine and Island Policy is necessary in the part that local lines can connect two ports with maximum distance 3
nautical miles.
The creation of a joint venture for covering the needs of a sea urban transportation will by nature expand at a
second level of growth connecting the ports of Skiathos and Glossa as well as Agia Eleni and Platanias. This on the
other hand can operate complementary to the other sea transportation companies especially in the off season period
when the need for larger boats does not exist.
Furthermore, a large number of large and small boat owners out of the circa 35 that operate on the island will
have a better and relatively less risk-related income since the general local economy will have a bust.
The creation of such an urban sea transportation company may also be helpful to the effort of hosting more cruise
ships out of the just 23 in 2015.
The expected upgrade of service quality is going to be also beneficial to the overall mentality of the local residents
since it will operate as a “good practice” example that can help them also in other advancements.

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424 Athanasios E. Zlatoudis / Transportation Research Procedia 24 (2017) 418–424

The sea, for those who live in a coastal city or on an island, must at last be part of our daily city activities and
become an attitude to life.

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