For the first time, the Department of Public Works is so close to awarding the tender for the installation of the "smart traffic lights" which are estimated to help decongest traffic at least on the main roads of Nicosia and Limassol, where the daily traffic jam affects tens of thousands of citizens.
The award of the tender in the next period of time is related to the imminent final decision by the Administrative Court as to which company will undertake the project, which was announced in January 2024 and the works were expected to start around the end of the same year. However, when the decision to award the tender was taken, an appeal was filed before the Revision Authority and the objection procedures followed and we reached today.
Of course, even if the contract is signed immediately, due to the period we are going through, it will take some time for the works to begin, but the important thing is to pave the way for implementation.
This is because the situation with the movement of vehicles on several roads in Cyprus has reached the point of no return, with a typical example being the bypass of Agios Athanasios in Limassol, where within a year an increase of almost 10,000 per day was recorded. Of course, smart or self-regulating traffic lights will be more effective in cities, where the inconvenience is greater, but the numbers are indicative of the increase in traffic.
The project will initially cover 125 signalized intersections, of which 75 in Nicosia and 50 in Limassol.
But how smart are these traffic lights and what will they help in the places where they will be installed? The Executive Engineer/Transportation Engineer in the Traffic Studies & Road Safety Sector, Mr. Alexis Avgoustis, among the advantages of the traffic lights in question, records the following:
– Reduction of travel time by 10-25%.
– Reduction of delays by 15-30%.
– Reduction of the "stop-start" process by 10-30%.
– Reduction of public transport travel time by 28%.
– Reduction of fuel consumption by 8-10%.
– Reduction of pollutant emissions by 10-15%.
– Reduction of the burden on air quality.
The above plan is part of Cyprus' broader strategy for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and is linked to the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
As Mr. Avgoustis explains, the project (new Regional Urban Traffic Control System) will be implemented in 125 light-controlled junctions on main axes in the Districts of Nicosia and Limassol with the intention of extending it to other junctions where necessary. The system will provide priority access to public transport and emergency vehicles, as well as the ability to connect up to 500 light-controlled junctions across Cyprus for remote access.
According to him, the aim of the project is better traffic management and is expected to bring about an increase in the traffic capacity of the road network as well as an upgrade of road safety.
The system will collect traffic data from sensors, which will be installed at key points of the road network in urban areas, and will process it in real time by adjusting the duration of the traffic light colours according to traffic.
Especially the latter is something that concerned almost all drivers who happened to be immobilized at traffic lights without another vehicle passing from the direction where the green light is on. This regulation is estimated to also reduce the queues observed at several traffic lights.
Smart technology in the battle of traffic
In contrast to the existing operating system of traffic lights with a fixed operating time of the colour (green, orange and red), the new system will bring about the following differences:
• Traffic sensors will continuously collect data on the number and flow of vehicles.
• All traffic lights will be connected to a central control center.
• The system will analyze the data in real time.
• It will automatically adjust the duration of the green and red traffic lights according to the actual traffic conditions.
The above will be monitored by a new central monitoring and control software and for this purpose sensors will be installed while the equipment of the traffic lights will also be upgraded.
The sensors to be installed will be mainly used for:
• Measuring the volume of vehicles.
• Estimation of traffic speed and density.
• Optimization of traffic light timing.
The budget of the project, based on initial estimates, amounted to €7.1 million. plus VAT. It is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the Cohesion Policy, the EU Program "THALIA 2021-2027". The execution period amounts to 24 months with five years of maintenance.
As part of the effort to better monitor the road network, in order to be able to have a more complete picture and based on this to examine ways to alleviate traffic traffic, the Department of Public Works has installed in the past 150 fixed cameras which can measure traffic with relevant analysis (video analytics).
The Department has been operating permanent traffic meters on the road network since the 1980s, while since 2014 the upgrade and expansion of the coverage network began, mainly in Nicosia and in the interurban road network. Through these systems, Public Works records and monitors the traffic on the road network as well as the monthly changes that occur both in the urban network of Nicosia and in the interurban network and the traffic to and from Nicosia and the connections between the cities.
