Filenews 3 December 2022 - by Ioanna Mantzipa
With drastic measures that it intends to implement immediately, the Limassol Municipality expresses its determination to provide solutions to the great problem that afflicts the city and is none other than traffic. Traffic is characterized as one of the biggest problems of the Limassol district, with thousands of citizens daily engaged in an endless race with patience as a passenger, until they reach their destination.
The rapid development of the city in combination with the ineffective measures on the part of the State, are the factors for which today the citizens of Limassol experience daily a huge inconvenience. Crucial to solving the problem is the implementation of the integrated study of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) as well as the implementation of actions by the municipal authorities. The problem in Limassol is mainly located in the northern areas and south of the motorway but also in the city centre.
The solution is a one-way street, says the mayor of Limassol, Nikos Nikolaidis, to "F", who points out that there is no longer room for piecemeal movements as they were done in the past. He explains that the problem will be solved with the immediate implementation of the city's SUMP, by all involved. In fact, for his part, the mayor declares himself ready and expresses the political will to implement a series of measures and actions that he intends to put before the City Council before the end of the year.
Sump's comprehensive study has a ten-year time horizon and a total budget of €400 million.
The €200 million will be used for bus stations, transfer stations, bus lanes, parking and ride spaces and a network of cycle paths.
The other €100 million relates to urban projects while the remaining €100 million relates to projects to be implemented by the six municipalities of Limassol.
Five measures
The first measure is the declaration of the downtown area, south of Gladstonos Street, in an area with a maximum speed limit of 30 km. This will have the effect of encouraging the use of the bicycle and 'micromobility'.
The second measure concerns the licensing of electric scooters in the centre, where according to existing legislation, they can be used in addition to bicycle paths, on roads with a speed limit of less than 30 kilometres.
Third measure, the one-way street of Anexartisias Street from north to south in order to facilitate access for pedestrians and encourage pedestrian movement.
The fourth measure is the declaration of the downtown zone as a carbon-free zone where only electric buses will enter the centre.
The fifth measure is to encourage even more the institution of park and ride in three perimeter parking lots located north, east and west of the city centre. This is the exploitation of the Epaminondas block, part of the Enaerios and a piece in Feyzi Pasha, where the expropriation processes are already underway.
First one-way street and then pedestrian street Anexartisias
Asked to comment on the one-way independence and the reactions that existed in the past in relation to the direction of vehicles, Mr. Nikolaidis said that SUMP does not determine whether it is from the north or south the direction of the vehicles. "Traffic logic says that the one-way street should be from south to north. But to make things easier and more acceptable, we have made a compromise that can be made to serve the major goal." The goal, he noted, is to pedestrianize Independence, explaining that it doesn't really matter which time it takes, saying it will be more easily acceptable to shopkeepers and people.
North siding and overpass
Regarding the problem observed north of the highway, the mayor noted that it was allowed to grow as no measures were taken for many years. He pointed out the immediate creation of park and ride spaces along the highway, saying that, as a Municipal Authority, they indicated to Mr. Karousos, five pieces.
He also argued that the smart lights should be extended to the roundabouts of Polemidia and Mesa Geitonia, while a series of special measures will be promoted for the above-ground bridge of Ellis Lampeti streets, north of the motorway, with Kosti Palamas Street located south of the motorway. It is, as he explained, a bridge that will only be used for buses and two-wheelers and not for all private vehicles.
