Questions have arisen over the “Nestor” plan, which was drawn up to speed up the handling of serious incidents on motorways. They follow hours of disruption on the Larnaca-Nicosia motorway on Thursday, when a crane broke down. Inspector Tasos Asiikkis of the Traffic Department at Police Headquarters said the plan has not been formally sent to the police, despite reports that it had been activated.
Police refer questions to the Justice Ministry
Speaking on Omega Channel’s programme “Enimerosi Tora”, Inspector Asiikkis said the police are aware of the general idea behind the plan. It provides for immediate coordination between the services involved in responding to motorway incidents.
Asked whether the police had received the relevant protocol, he said the plan “has not been sent to us officially”. He referred further questions to the Ministry of Justice.
He was asked several times whether the “Nestor” plan had been activated for Thursday’s incident. He did not give further details and repeated that the Ministry of Justice was responsible for answering that question.
Six hours to move the crane
According to Inspector Asiikkis, the crane broke down at around noon because of a mechanical fault, about one kilometre from the Rizoelia roundabout.
The vehicle took up the hard shoulder and part of the left lane, so the left lane had to be closed. The right lane remained open. Traffic police went to the scene and worked with the Public Works Department on signage and traffic management.
Flashing warning lights and signs were put in place at around 12:30pm.
The crane could only be moved at around 6:15pm, after specialised equipment and personnel had to be found. Traffic resumed in both lanes at around 6:40pm.
Case examined against the driver
Inspector Asiikkis said the crane was not permitted to travel on the motorway. He said a case of illegal use of the vehicle on the motorway is being examined against the driver.
He explained that the law prohibits certain categories of vehicles from using motorways. These include vehicles that, because of their construction, cannot maintain a speed of at least 65 kilometres per hour.
The prohibited categories include mopeds, tractors, certain earthmoving machinery and cranes, subject to the exceptions set out in the law.
Appeal to drivers
Inspector Asiikkis urged drivers not to slow down to watch incidents taking place on motorways. He said this makes congestion worse and hampers the work of officers at the scene.
He also called on drivers to inform the police when they see vehicles that are not permitted on motorways using them.
