We’re all back. Sadly, congestion wise. Early September has offered up no surprises. Long queues of cars and frustrated drivers have returned to the morning rush fold, struggling to hold back inappropriate behaviour as they make it late to work or fight to beat the school bell, huffing and puffing along the way.
The traffic issue is multi-faceted and sadly on everyone’s lips for too many years, absent solutions, as rhetoric takes precedent in public dialogue, with very little of what is suggested, actually materialising into concrete proposals, let alone implemented.
Solutions, anyone? Politis sought more clarity from Loukas Demetriou, emeritus professor at the University of Cyprus civil and environmental engineers Department.
‘The start of the new season in early September will certainly see a sudden rise in traffic jams, decidedly away from the summer joys of empty urban lanes’, Demetriou says, as schools reopen and most return from recess’. This dramatic transformation will test us all, so ‘we need to be patient, calm and tolerant on the roads, with the rest of the drivers, the vehicles’, he further notes, calling for the best possible adjustment to this new state of road affairs in the smoothest way possible.
Rush hour on the Nicosia and Limassol main arteries
Critical times, where drivers face the biggest traffic load are ‘in Nicosia, between 0730 and 0930 am and 1630-1830pm and in Limassol between 0730-1130 am and 1930pm , around two hours more than the capital’, Demetriou added. Mind you, Nicosia’s main arteries have much larger traffic capacity, while Limassol’s urban lanes are restricted.
‘The capital’s traffic situation is more manageable during rush hours, while the coastal city’s roads are loaded for most of the day’, he says, pointing out that going in and out of Limassol is pure ‘torture’, with Nicosia suffering that to a lesser degree.
Fundamental problems
The core of the issue is two-pronged and according to Professor Demetriou, one is affected by the other. ‘The first issue is about the congestion during rush hour on the basic arteries of major cities, most severe in Limassol. The second problem involves bad connections in the network, meaning the lack of major works such as a ring-road in Limassol or similar infrastructure across the capital that would mature its network. The bus route absolutely have no credibility either’.
Measures at dealing with bottlenecks
There is no ideal solution, he says, but a number of long and short term applications, could go a long way. Τhe short terms, as he noted, include better signalling, through smart traffic lights that turn according to the level of congestion and can actually bring it down by 12%.
This is a possibility that has been looked into by the Transport Ministry, at a cost of 30 million euro across Cyprus.
More effective policing across urban arteries and highways and better HR and technological equipment utilisation, including cameras. Professor Demetriou also proposes a campaign that would encourage people to use public transport and provide incentives to this end, such as additional buses, routes and connection stations. And if all this works, ‘we can venture into the territory of trams, but not a metro system, as that would be a much too expensive option for Cyprus’.
Longer term measures include a more anthropocentric urban planning, as cities are growing fast. But our steps need to be measured and towards fulfilling this goal, autumn sees the start of a major joint effort by the University of Cyprus, TEPAK and Frederick, aimed at creating a holistic urban viability plan, which includes traffic. Beyond experts, the goal is for the public to also become involved in planning.
‘Τhe message is clear. We can build the city of the next 15 years, today’.
As to the here and now, in other words, the autumn traffic shock, there are ways of dealing with it, if one so wishes or is able to. Less use of our vehicle, more bus travelling or walking, if possible. These interventions can surely help us get through the day.