Limassol, Cyprus. Limassol Mayor Yiannis Armeftis said the city’s new cycle lanes may appear unsightly but are necessary to promote safer cycling and alternative transport. He said the municipality would examine concerns and propose improvements where needed.
Project background
The project is being overseen by the department of public works and follows a sustainable urban mobility plan approved by both previous and current municipal councils.
Residents’ concerns
Residents have raised complaints about the protective barriers installed along cycle lanes on streets including Thekla Lysiotis, Emmanouel Roidis, Nikos Pattihis and near the court. Concerns have focused on the appearance of the barriers and their impact on the road.
Municipal response
Armeftis said the aim of the project is to encourage safer cycling and reduce dependence on private cars.
“The city’s traffic problem cannot be solved when 90 per cent of the people travel in private cars,” he said.
He said the protective barriers, often referred to as “pasalakia”, were installed to ensure cyclist safety, despite affecting the visual character of the streets.
“There is certainly an issue of unattractiveness,” he said, adding that the municipality would assess how the infrastructure could be improved or adjusted.
“We will see how this can be made more attractive and, if there are excesses, we will try to change them or even remove them where necessary,” he said.
