Cyprus Mail 12 April 2022 - by Anna Savva
The transport ministry has signed €1.03 million contract to acquire a road surface assessment system aiming at improved safety and comfort on the island’s roads, Minister Yiannis Karousos said on Tuesday.
The contract, signed on Monday with Arrb Systems Australia, covers the purchase of the system (€791,000) and five years’ maintenance (€239,000). It is co-financed by the EU which is covering about 80 per cent of the cost.
Karousos said similar automated assessment systems of the road network are used in most developed countries and allow speedier checks without the closure of roads.
Among other checks, the system records the roughness of the road surface which is linked to drivers’ comfort and protection of vehicles from wear and tear, the macrotexture of the asphalt, which is an indicator for slipperiness at high speeds, surface damage such as ruts, cracks linked to the more general damage of the road surface and the photographing of the road network, signposts, lines and railings.
Karousos said the vehicle collecting the data is equipped with cameras, calculators, lasers, sensors and other equipment and a GPS location system so that all measurements are accompanied with the precise location on the road network from where they were taken.
This data is then evaluated by the team managing the system, facilitating decisions as regards the maintenance needed and which locations should be given priority. Moreover, the system will allow quality controls of projects carried out by the public works department and local authorities, at the construction stage, something that will save resources, he added.
“With the adoption of this procedure, the transport ministry aims at the timely and correct maintenance of the road network that will allow immediate improvement in the comfort and safety of all users,” Karousos said.
The vehicle will be delivered in 2022 and there will be annual assessments of the road network.
