“Moms in the Street” is a
group of mothers (and several others) in Greece, who are advocating for road safety and accessibility for all
pedestrians.
The initiative's name stems from the fact that it is virtually impossible for a person to reach
their destination on foot without walking in the street for a significant part
of the distance. This is because footpaths are often too narrow, poorly constructed and/or blocked by parked vehicles and other obstructions. Sometimes no footpath exists at all.
“Moms in the Street”
believe that the situation is inherently dangerous, as it forces pedestrians to
walk side-by-side with fast-moving vehicles. While this is risky even under
normal circumstances, in the unregulated Greek streets, where red lights,
speed limits and zebra crossings are often disregarded, this is a recipe for disaster. Many lives have already been lost in traffic crashes
involving pedestrians
and steps should be taken urgently, before more people are killed.
If walking safely to one's
destination, however short, is difficult for able-bodied adults, it is nearly
impossible for the elderly, people with disabilities and parents
with strollers. Given the dangerous streets, children cannot walk to school or
the playground; instead they need to be driven everywhere for their own safety. Those
who have no car are forced to either risk their lives daily or simply stay at
home, a situation that constitutes a gross violation of their rights.
For all these reasons, “Moms
in the Street” believe that the issues of road safety and accessibility for
pedestrians need to become priorities on both the state and local level. To
this end we try to raise awareness for the problem while also
communicating our needs to the local and state authorities through letters,
calls, meetings or rallies.
We can be reached at mamastodromo@gmail.com.
An English version of this blog can be found here: https://momsinthestreet.wordpress.com/
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