Pafos Live 8 October 2024
The Municipality of Pafos expresses dissatisfaction and strong disappointment for the withdrawal that occurred in relation to the decision taken within the framework of the Pafos District Self-Government Organization to remove illegal billboards placed in public and private space along the route from Pafos International Airport to the area of Tsada Community.
In view of the holding on October 11 in a tourist complex on the outskirts of Tsada of the Summit of the 9 Mediterranean Member States of the European Union (9), it was decided at a meeting with the participation of the President of the Pafos EOA, the Mayor of Pafos, the Mayor of East Pafos and the Presidents of the Community Councils involved, an accelerated procedure for the registration of illegal advertising signs. notifying the owners of the signs and advertisers to remove them and undertaking the removal by crews of the Municipalities of Pafos and East Pafos in case of non-compliance. As a first step, however, it was agreed that a group of officers of the Pafos EED and the Pafos Municipality will record the large number of signs along this route in order for the EOA, as the legally competent Authority, to check which are licensed and which are not.
The registration was done and showed 70 plates of which only one has a license. While preparing to send a letter to the offenders, in addition to the verbal notice and as had been decided at the aforementioned meeting, which would give them a few days to remove their signs, there was a withdrawal on the part of the East Pafos Municipality. Specifically, according to oral information received by the Pafos EOA, the East Pafos Municipal Council decided to send a letter to the owners/managers of the signs inviting them to submit an application for a permit within one month. It is noted that of the 70 recorded signs, 57 are located in the area of East Pafos Municipality and none in the area of Pafos Municipality. In the area of Pafos Municipality there are only two signs, one of which is licensed and the other is the subject of court proceedings for its removal.
In his statements, the Mayor of Pafos, expressing his strong disappointment with the development of the issue, stressed that such attitudes and actions of the Local Government Authorities send very wrong messages to both offenders and citizens. Pointing out that the issue of illegal billboards on interurban and other roads has very serious aspects and ramifications, he mentioned in particular the following: (a) Failure to obtain planning permission (b) Collection by owners or tenants of land of "black money" (c) Illegal intervention in Turkish-Cypriot owned land for the placement of signs (d) Tax evasion of various parties involved since payments and receipts are not declared.
The Municipality of Pafos calls on the Pafos EOTA and the other Local Government Authorities of the Pafos District to listen to ordinary citizens who ask for an upgrade of aesthetics in cities and countryside and to rise to the occasion, serving solely the public interest.
Footnote - Crews of the municipality of East Pafos in their attempt to dismantle illegal billboards on the Limassol-Paphos motorway, caused a fire.
Workers used equipment to cut metal signs, causing a roadside fire in dry grass. The fire was extinguished by the fire department before it reached proportions.
