An incredible rise in property values in the areas through which the Limassol tram will pass, if and when it is launched, shows a preliminary study, with the surplus value amounting to €1.5 billion.
As the mayor of Limassol, Giannis Armeftis, told "F", the surplus value of the developments along the route is not limited to this level alone, while he clarifies that for now, what is important is the preparation of a study as to whether the operation of the tram would be viable, something that is being examined jointly with the municipalities of Amathus, Polemidia and Kourion.
It is noted that Nicosia has already expressed interest, with whose mayor a common concern is developing. According to the mayor of Limassol, especially with Nicosia, the prospect of connecting the two cities by train is being considered, although this does not concern the current time period.
Mr. Armeftis, answering a relevant question from "F", said: "First of all, let us say that the goal of both the Municipality of Limassol and the Municipality of Nicosia is not to create a tram "at all costs" and regardless of cost, but in the first phase we seek to investigate whether such a project can be viable, to serve the residents of our cities, to protect the environment, reduce the inconvenience of vehicle users and, in general, make our living space friendlier and more humane.
"Of course," he continued, "if the studies are encouraging, which at first glance contain positive characteristics, it may be worth delving into this direction, given that the use of buses for various reasons did not bring the desired results."
Especially for Limassol, he said that the desire is to examine the possibility of connecting the port with the city center through Aktaia Odos. As he explained, the concern raised about public transport concerns which of them would be the most appropriate in order to achieve the connection of the port area with the strategic developments that already exist (as well as those that have been launched or will be launched) with the center, but even the Municipality of Amathus.
Thoughts about the launch of a tram were also made due to the fact that the buses, despite their subsidy – which in Limassol is around €25 million annually – did not bring the expected results, nor does it seem that it will exceed 2-3%, although some raise it to 4-5% of citizens' traffic, said the mayor of Limassol. He clarified, however, that the use of buses will not stop since the two modes of transport can complement each other.
According to him, one of the main questions that concerns the other municipalities concerns whether citizens would use an alternative means of public transport such as the tram and whether its operation would be viable.
Furthermore, he said that together with the municipalities of Polemidia and Amathus, the preparation of traffic and spatial planning studies has been commissioned, focusing on traffic and the results will be indicative as to the direction in which it is appropriate for the affected Local Authorities to focus.
As he explained, the feasibility study is completed in October and its cost is expected to range between €600,000-€1,000,000.
Two alternative routes
As he said, at first glance the numbers concerning the construction part seem to be encouraging. Regarding the route of the tram, two alternative routes were considered by the municipalities of Limassol, Amathus, Polemidia and Kourion.
One starts from Kolonakiou Street in the Municipality of Germasogeia, passes through Griva Digeni and Gladstonos and passes through Aktaia Odos and from the port ends at the roundabout of Lady's Mile (Lady's Mile).
The other route joins Ypsonas-Kourios and passes through Paphos, Misiaouli and Kavazoglou streets and from there leads to the coastal road of Amathus. It will have approximately an "X" shape in which alternative routes/connections can be provided.
The minimum length of the lines will be about 10 kilometers against a cost of about €25 million. per kilometer, which refers to €250 million. If we are talking about 20 kilometers, the cost reaches €500 million. says Mr. Armeftis. "Of course," he continues, "if something more advanced is done, the cost will probably amount to €30-€35 million. per kilometer, i.e. €500-€600 million."
No final decisions have been made and nothing is prejudged, but what is certain is that the current situation on the roads cannot continue as it is, emphasizes the mayor of Limassol.
In an observation that in cities abroad where trams operate, the population is increased compared to the population of the cities of Cyprus, where sustainability is more feasible, he observed that the population of Limassol, including all municipalities and surrounding areas, but also visitors and workers from other areas, can reach 500,000, so the critical mass is created which can make the tram sustainable.
And Nicosia in the game of detecting the tram
As "F" wrote, during a recent meeting, the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos, raised the issue of the financing of the tram viability study by the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry, although we asked for its views, has not responded to this day.
The mayor of Nicosia clarified that on the part of the Municipality of Nicosia, there was no question of preparing a new study but of updating a study that had been prepared in the past.
"Our intention," he said, "is to restore the prospect of operating a tram on new tracks, in order to take into account all factors and not only the construction costs and the cost of operation and maintenance of the tram, but also to take into account other parameters such as the cost paid by Cyprus for the pollutants produced by vehicle traffic."
As he explained, in response to a relevant question from "F", the competent branch of the Ministry of Transport considers that the European Investment Bank will not finance the project, because the degree of penetration of buses in public transport is so low that the launch of a new such means of public transport is not justified.
"We disagree," he continued, "with this approach and we believe that the buses have been tested for about 17 years (when the implementation of the relevant contracts began) and it seems that, at least with the way the existing system works, the expected results in terms of attracting citizens have not been achieved."
Mr. Prountzos believes that now is the right time, in the sense that in 2030 the Nicosia bus contract expires and consultations have already begun on the new specifications, so it is considered that the current period is suitable for considering the possibility of running a tram.
