Filenews 1 April 2023 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
Up to 13%, in the ideal scenario, it is estimated that it is possible to reduce traffic on the streets of Nicosia by the implementation of a new staggered schedule in the state machine under discussion. A study conducted by the Ministry of Transport on sustainable urban mobility, showed that the improvements in overall traffic from the implementation of staggered working hours are small in the realistic scenario but are by no means negligible, while in the ideal scenario they reach 13%.
Initially, the Ministry of Transport had proposed that the staggered arrival hours should be from 7 to 9 in the morning, but the regulations approved by the Council of Ministers and discussed in Parliament provide for the extension of the flexible hours by one and a half hours, ie from 7.00 / 8.30 am to 2.30 to 4.00.
According to the findings of the study, total traffic volumes (traffic flow) will decrease from 3% to 13% and the average speed on the road network will increase by 2% to 11%. Even in the case of the realistic scenario, the improvement will not be negligible, as the queues of vehicles on the roads are expected to decrease somewhat.
Specifically, from meter observations on Strovolos Avenue it was found that queues are created above the traffic counter when approximately the traffic variation exceeds 7.5%. According to the study, the slight improvement that is estimated to occur is significant in reducing traffic jams and delays on central axes, for some time.
The implementation of staggered working hours is feasible in the public sector and it is estimated that 2,500 employees will use it, while ideally participation could exceed 7,000 employees. In addition, the study emphasizes that shifting hours in education will not have a benefit, as any benefit to traffic will shift back within the traffic peak.
According to the proposals of the Ministry of Transport, urban and commercial deliveries could be made outside peak hours, i.e. 9.00 am to 12.00 pm and 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm, on the main axes. In fact, in order to implement the favorable scenario, the Ministry of Transport had proposed the guarding of students in the primary and secondary schools of Nicosia from 7 am to 7.45 am. He had also suggested the flexibility of granting additional leave of 1.5 days a month to civil servants who arrive early and leave work late, having accumulated the extra working time to cover the time that the leave will provide. The proposals included the promotion of the all-day school, with a meals service, the operation of sports academies with investments by private initiative and centres for the creative employment of students.
The answers of the MIC
For its part, the Ministry of Finance states in a note that it will reassess the extension of public hours from 7.00am to 9.00am. For the provision of one and a half days' leave per month to employees who have accumulated time, the ministry considers that this cannot be applied, as it refers to overtime, where remuneration is done through paid rest leave. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance stresses the need for strict enforcement of the law by imposing fines on those who park illegally on the main roads of urban centres. The Ministry also refers to the study carried out by the Department of Public Personnel Administration for the regulation of flexible forms of employment in the State.
