The deputy mayor of Germasogeia, Christos Papamichael, strongly criticized the traffic congestion caused by the works on the coastal front of Limassol, speaking of serious problems in the daily movement of citizens and long delays during peak hours.
At the same time, citizens contacted Filenews early in the morning, complaining about the inconvenience they experienced until they reached their workplaces. Problems and delays were also noted on an EMEL route (line 30) serving the coastal front.
Mr. Papamichael, in his statements to Filenews, stated that since the start of the works in the last few days under the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), there has been intense traffic congestion, which affects both drivers and public transport, resulting in significant delays in routes.
"For a distance of about two kilometers, drivers may need up to two hours in the morning hours," he said, noting that the Municipality has received a series of complaints from irritated drivers, who, as he said, rightly complain about the way the project is carried out by the contractor who has undertaken its implementation through Public Works.
The deputy mayor underlined that the situation is particularly irritating and that rational planning is required. He pointed out, at the same time, that the works start around 07:00 in the morning, a time when the movement of citizens to work peaks, resulting in a further burden on the road network.
"How is it possible to close the entire coastal road in a city that faces an acute traffic problem every day?", he asked, adding that "we are reaching the limits of third-world situations". Referring to the effects, he spoke of chain effects, pointing out that even the operation of services such as patrol cars, ambulances and fire trucks is affected, due to traffic congestion.
The deputy mayor argued that the way the projects were carried out causes reasonable reactions and that the possibility of work at night should be considered. "I don't understand why the works should not be done from 21:00 in the evening to 05:00 in the morning, as had been applied to asphalt paving projects of the coastal road in the past," he said.
According to him, even if night hours entail increased costs, the overall economic footprint from the loss of productivity is much greater.
"The productivity of the city is affected, as people cannot go to work," he noted, adding that workers have been forced to either return home or work remotely due to the inability to move.
In closing, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the way the project was managed, noting that there was no communication with the Public Works. "I don't need to contact them to tell me that this is a contract in progress. The point is to act as procurers and not as prometheus," he said.
