Filenews 24 July 2022 - by Michalis Hadjivassilis
The cost of fatal and serious accidents to the economy over the last five years has amounted to the appalling sum of one billion euros, in addition to the loss of human life. Every year 42-48 lives are lost on the streets, several others are injured, stuck in wheelchairs.
His political head of the Ministry of Transport, Giannis Karousos, in an interview with "F", refers to a series of actions that are being launched in order to reduce traffic collisions. He tells us his feelings when a new deadly conflict occurs and gives his own recipe for solving the traffic problem.
- We have reached 26 deaths this year in road collisions, Minister, what is to blame in the end?
- Certainly being the head of the Ministry that has the responsibility of road safety, the responsibilities are increased. I personally made this issue one of my priorities because even a human life to be saved means a lot. This year we see that there is an increase in fatalities of 33% and we are at the same levels as in 2018. We have a significant number of dead motorcyclists and foreigners this year which worries us. But what we notice is that of the seven dead motorcyclists, five did not carry a helmet, it is also speed and reckless driving. Especially in June we had for some reason increased fatal accidents.
- Every time you hear as the minister responsible about yet another dead person on the roads how do you react?
- I am also a motorcyclist and I have lost friends on a motorcycle. Now that I'm here and I'm hearing about a new accident, I'm disappointed, I'm asking for analyses why it happened, if it could be saved if one or the other happened, and it's certainly a bad feeling because a life is lost. I sit and think if for example there was an islet where the accident occurred, would he be alive today? If the motorcyclist was wearing his helmet, why wasn't he wearing it and I'm trying to step up my efforts for road safety. In order to succeed in this matter, it is important to bear the political cost, because with some decisions you will make you will influence some.
For example, if you want an islet to be placed on a street, there is a whole quarrel, interests are affected, the affected people shout and they do not allow the works that will save lives to be done. In Nikos Pattichis in Limassol this was done, but we showed strength, the islet was built and finally since it was built there has been no road collision. Let me also say that what we are going to do shortly is to announce a programme to scrap old cars because they are dangerous and have to leave the roads.
- Recently the House passed the bill regulating electric scooters. Is the right infrastructure in place today?
- I will give you the data related to the bike lanes. There are many in Cyprus since in Famagusta district we have 54km bike lanes, in Nicosia district 61km, in Paphos 35km, in Limassol 22km and in Larnaca 11km. With the projects planned in Nicosia, another 17km bicycle paths will be created, in Limassol another eight, in Famagusta another 12.5km, in Larnaca and Paphos from 6km and we have under construction in Famagusta another 6.5km. That is, in the area of Famagusta you can start from the River Liopetrio, go to Cape Greco, Protaras, Kappari, Deryneia and now it is under construction in Sotira. In Nicosia, all universities have been unified with each other.
Within the law, we suggested that they should also be entitled to circulate on the road network in areas where the movement of vehicles with a speed limit of up to 30 km is allowed.
- Another issue on which reactions have been provoked, concerns the equipment that the delivery men will necessarily bring. How are things?
- The delivery sector predicted that due to the increase it got in Cyprus, the risks of road collisions inevitably increase. That is why we brought the proposal according to which those who are professionally engaged in motorcycles, which are essentially the distributors of ready-made food, should bring, in addition to the helmet, additional protective equipment, namely gloves, shoes, bangs, knee pads, phosphorus and airbag.
These people are vulnerable since they run to deliver orders. We had fatal ones in 2019 and 2020, we had conflicts, which is why we went to the Parliament where reactions were provoked, since the responsibility for the purchase of the equipment will lie with the employer. This was judged to beat the delivery man, while we believe that he would save lives. Due to the reactions we said to remove the back protector and leave either the airbag or the patellas - promenades as an option. Unfortunately, those who are reacting are reacting to the issue of student permits, to the permits of political asylum seekers. Now they issue a student permit and finish. We have people who without training with a student permit take to the streets as professional drivers and work. The reactions are unjustified for me because it is only a matter of time before we lose more lives.
For prevention of the cameras, not for complaints
-What about the photo-tagging system, provided that there were problems, we had to move on to the next phase and we are still in the pilot phase?
- The Receiving Committee currently assesses whether the company has complied with the terms of the contract. If satisfied then we will go to the next phase.
I said it many times. The photo-tagging is here to stay. So efforts will be made to see the glass half full and not half empty. Problems with photo-tagging exist all over the world. In Britain, one in seven extrajudicial documents is deleted due to an error. In Cyprus we and the company had problems, we discussed them and we saw that almost the vast majority of the 62,000 extrajudicial documents, the 47,000 have been issued and the rest were for some special groups. Such as when someone who is from abroad and does not have a driver's license so that you cannot send him the extrajudicial. Also, some databases did not agree with each other regarding a name. We had issues with companies about who drives a vehicle which we resolved, while some complaints were about bicycles, scooters, or they were tests, or the registration numbers were not showing well, etc.
-The system came to help reduce accidents, but on the other hand, citizens are currently being denounced by the thousands, while fatalities are increasing rather than decreasing.
- We are close to moving on to the next phase, there will be another 16 mobile cameras and another 24 fixed ones. We see that the system is working, a driver speed of 194 km instead of 100 has been recorded on a motorway and at the fixed point a speed of 121 km instead of 50. These two cases were taken directly to court. Also, from the first of the year until June 7, 7,000 violations of the red light were recorded, while for violation of the white line we had 13,579 complaints.
The important thing about the cameras is that they came for prevention and not for drivers to be reported. With the cameras, the driver knows that in places that we consider dangerous, the road is policed and he must drive carefully. I am of the opinion that the roads where there will be cameras should be announced, but not the points. So the message will go to the drivers to drive carefully. In this way we will show that our purpose is not extrajudicial. It is a question of acting proactively and not of filling the citizens with extrajudicial documents. In fact, to give you to understand that one does not gain anything by running 150km instead of 120. If someone starts from Rizoelia to the Kalispera lights and drives with 150km instead of 120, the difference is only three minutes. Is it worth risking one's life for three minutes?
When we go to the next phase with the cameras, the performance indicators will also come in, and so if the contract is not met by the company, fines will be imposed.
Three movements for traffic
-Let's come to another issue, the one with traffic. How will it be resolved and for citizens to enter city centres without suffering?
- Traffic will not be solved overnight. There will be improvement year after year until you reach a result. The first thing that is done is construction works. The perimeter in Nicosia is under construction. Public Works estimate that around 25% of vehicles will not enter Nicosia but will use the perimeter.
The second is that we have announced the offer of Hippocrates – Argyroupolis, which will connect Lakatamia - Tseriou with the GSP and will add to the decongestion at the entrance of Nicosia. A roundabout is also being prepared on Stavros Avenue, with the parallel removal of the Kalispera lights and traffic will be channelled through this interchange.
We will also use technology to regulate traffic and relieve drivers. I am referring to smart lights such as those installed at a roundabout in Limassol. This measure pays off since the time you wanted to go from a point to the roundabout decreased by more than 50%, and in fact in some hours it reaches 70%. We are preparing offers and in September the announcement will be made for the installation of intelligent systems in 125 points (traffic lights) in Nicosia (80) and Limassol (45). This system through sensors will receive the data, analyze it and accordingly give priority to green. It's like having 80 traffic wardens in the traffic lights and getting along with each other. The system will also give priority to the bus.
We have also signed the offer for the installation of sensors, cameras and electronic signs on the motorways in order to record the route details and inform drivers whether there is an accident, or fire, and to head to another exit.
However, traffic will not be solved by these measures alone. These are relieving measures. If the use of the bus is not increased, the traffic will not be solved. 10 years ago we did not have buses in Cyprus. Each city and each village had its own and it was mainly for the service of those who worked. Now there is a system where the risk is to the contractor, who has the incentive to bring in passengers. So it is convenient for them to make a network right, to increase their routes to bring in passengers. We also have to help the bus. That is why the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan is currently underway.
In parallel with the Plan, I asked for two studies to be carried out; the first will concern the integrated network of bus lanes and will be ready in October and the second study concerns the working hours (schools, public, etc.).
If we change the timetables, it is very likely that the traffic will be largely resolved. Now that schools are closed, you see that there is no problem. We need to look at studies, questionnaires with the world and there will be public consultations. Both issues will provoke reactions but if they are implemented there will be relief.
Bus lanes when built will be at the expense of the car, since monodrifications will be required. Let me give you an example. The Limassol seaside from two lanes each direction when the plan will be implemented, one on each side will be for the exclusive use of the bus. It is here that we want the local authorities as allies.
