Limassol unveils ambitious project to transform city centre
(By Anna Hassapi Cyprus Mail - Friday, May 9, 2008)

LIMASSOL Municipality yesterday unveiled plans for the transformation of the town’s historic centre and seafront, with a view to revamping the image of these areas, as well as better accommodating citizens’ needs.

This will be done through the overhaul of the town’s centre and sea reclamation area, as well as the creation of Garyllis Linear Park.

“These are ambitious and innovative projects because they aim significantly to alter the appearance of the town’s centre,” said Mayor of Limassol Andreas Christou.

The municipality will work on these projects in co-operation with Town Planning, and most of the funding will be provided by the EU structural funds.

The total cost of the three projects will reach €22-24million, 85 per cent of which will be covered by the EU funds.

The municipality yesterday presented the preliminary plans for the town centre and sea reclamation area, while plans for the Garyllis Linear Park are being prepared.

The completion of the sea reclamation and town centre projects will take approximately two years, while the third project is expected to start in 2010 and be completed by 2011.

“In June, the plans will be submitted to the government, and we aim to start work by 2009,” Christou added.

The plans for Limassol’s historic centre were based on an Area Plan, the traffic study conducted by Metsovion University for the placement of TEPAK, as well as on the Limassol Local Plan.

The main aim of the project is the protection and projection of historic and cultural elements, as well as the town’s architectural heritage.

The project involves the development of a new and improved traffic network, which will encourage walking and the use of public transport, as well as the creation of 600 parking spaces.

The town’s public transport network will be significantly improved, while walking will be encouraged through the creation of wider pavements and tile-paved areas.

Four new squares will be created at the Mediaeval Castle area, Saripolou Street, University Square near the Town Hall, and the B’ Municipal Market square.

The plans also encourage the placement of public service providers in underground sites.

The plans for the seafront area envision the creation of a multi-functional seaside park at the side of the current sea reclamation area.

The area will be revamped through the creation of additional services for visitors, including cafes, bicycle lanes, pedestrian walks and a small theatre for cultural events.

Polis road will go ahead, Minister insists
(By Jacqueline Theodoulou - Cyprus Mail - Wednesday, May 21, 2008)

CONSTRUCTION of the Paphos-Polis Chrysochous highway will start in early 2009, provided there are no unexpected obstacles, the Communications Minister said yesterday.

Minister Nicos Nicolaides, who attended a discussion on the issue at the House Communications Committee, assured deputies that recent media reports over scrapping plans to build the new road were completely unsubstantiated.

“What is actually taking place is an evaluation of all the big developmental works that are pending to find the best possible ways to go ahead with them,” said Nicolaides.

Deputies Andreas Fakontis of AKEL, Antonis Antoniou of DIKO and Fidias Sarikas of EDEK had tabled for discussion the reasons for the delays in re-opening tenders for the new highway.

The deputies called on the government to start the tender procedure as soon as possible so construction could begin, mainly to make the lives of nearby residents easier, but also because the more the works were delayed, the costlier it would be for the state.

Polis Mayor Angelos Georgiou told the meeting residents were concerned about the delay in building the road, which he said was important not just for the local area, but also for the island’s general traffic system.

He added that it would contribute to the development of the entire district of Paphos.

According to the relevant plans submitted to Parliament by the Communications Ministry in October 2007, the new highway will have four lanes all the way up to Stroumbi village and will continue with two lanes up to Polis Chrysochous.

The plans also leave room for the possibility of creating four lanes all the way to Polis, if it is considered financially feasible.

Committee Chairman Zacharias Koulias of DIKO said it was important to hear the views of Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis, who was invited to attend yesterday’s meeting but sent a spokesman as he had other engagements.

Koulias invited the minister to attend the committee as soon as he could to offer his input.

As the session drew to an end, Minister Nicolaides was keen to point out that the Demetris Christofias government made its decisions collectively and with absolute transparency.

“The government started planning this construction in 1997. However such grand works are not executed at the speed they should be,” said Nicolaides.

He said the government was awaiting the response of the Tender Review Authority, which is currently examining two objections by applying companies.

“As soon as this is done and depending on the outcome, the government will move ahead with signing the contract, which is expected to happen in around six months’ time.

It will take another four to five months for construction to begin,” Nicolaides said.

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Crematorium could become a reality
(Cyprus Mail  - Sunday, May 18, 2008)

THE ISLAND could have its very first crematorium within the next 12 months, putting an end to a long wait for many residents who are opposed to traditional burial.

It is unclear why parliament has dragged its feet over the implementation of a bill to build a crematorium that was first drafted and presented to parliament eight years ago by MEP Marios Matsakis.

Although the legislation is still not in place, government officials predict a crematorium could be up and running by next summer.

Interior Ministry permanent secretary Lazaros Savvides said at this stage Law Commissioner Leda Koursoumba was gathering the relevant information and canvassing different ministries for their views.

He said his ministry and the Church had answered in favour of the proposal.

“I cannot give a timeline due to several unknown parameters but my best estimate would be that we may see a crematorium on the island in about a year’s time,” Savvides said.

This is expected to come as music to ears of many.

Already a petition in Paphos demanding the right to build a crematorium bears 4,000 signatures, with many younger Cypriots supporting the measure.

This is partly because as things stand today, people who want to be cremated must be embalmed and flown to another country where cremation exists.

This is both time consuming and extremely costly.

Human rights expert Achilleas Demetriades said people had a right to choose how to live and to choose the method of their after-death disposal.

“This is not a rhetorical proposition; it is based on freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and is secured by the European convention on human rights,” he said.

Sceptics believe the 12 month timeline is too ambitious, fearing bureaucracy could hold up the process further.

Experts also said it would take at least 18 months from now to build the crematorium if the government approved the license to build one.

Allocating a plot of land away from residential areas is also important, with the area around Paphos airport thought to be ideal.

George Melas, who runs the Archangelos funeral home in Limassol, added: “I have many families who have to pay thousands of euros so their loved ones can be cremated abroad say in Italy, and yes, I do feel strongly that we should have a modern eco-friendly crematorium here in Cyprus, and not just for expatriates.

There are many young Cypriots who support cremation as the only environmentally friendly manner of disposal, especially on this small island.”

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House considers scrapping road tax
(By Jacqueline Theodoulou - Cyprus Mail Wednesday, May 21, 2008)

THERE are distortions and injustices in the current road tax system, the House Communications Committee concluded yesterday.

The Committee called on the government to provide Parliament with a specific bill that would make the system fairer.

As the committee continued to examine the possibility of scrapping road tax altogether, a new subject was included; that of tax incentives for hybrid cars.

After hearing deputies’ suggestions on scrapping road tax and transferring the duties to fuel, along with proposals on how to offer incentives to encourage people into buying environmentally-friendly hybrid cars, Communications Minister Nicos Nicolaides and the head of the Road Transport Department, Soteris Kolettas, informed deputies on the methods used in other European countries, but also Cyprus, to encourage the purchase of hybrid cars.

The minister said there were already discounts offered by the state to buy hybrid cars, such as a 50 per cent increase in road tax duties for cars with CO2 omissions that don’t exceed 120 grams per kilometre.

Nicolaides added that his ministry funded €1,197 for the purchase of a small or medium-powered car that is environmentally friendly.

But referring to other countries, including Greece, where there are more incentives to encourage the purchase of hybrid or environmentally-friendly cars, the Committee called on the relevant state services to co-operate and prepare a complete survey on the issue, so the issue could be discussed again in September.

In regards to scrapping road tax, Kolettas pointed out that it would be unfair for certain sectors of the public, such as professional drivers or rural residents, to transfer around €70 million – the yearly amount collected by road tax – into fuel prices, which would result in a 9.3 cents increase per litre.

Furthermore, the state could not handle losing such a significant income, without there being an alternative solution.
 

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New traffic cameras could be up and running within eight months
(By Leo Leonidou - Cyprus News - Tuesday, May 27, 2008)

A PLAN to install a new traffic camera system could be implemented six to eight months from the day the Council of Ministers gives the green light.

Communications and Works Minister Nicos Nicolaides made the statement on Sunday, saying his Ministry would bring the issue before the Cabinet once again.

According to the proposal, the complete system includes the installation of around 400 permanent and mobile cameras across the island in three stages.

He noted that the location and installation of cameras would be based according to surveys and taking into consideration the ‘dangerousness’ of certain points.

“Based on Cyprus’ experience as well as the European and international experience, such systems can and must be used in the direction of preventing road accidents, and this is our intention,” he stated.

“The faster the system is installed the faster we will begin combating road accidents in an effective manner.”

Nicolaides added that, “after the Council of Ministers decision, the procedure for tenders will begin.”

According to the Ministry’s head of the Road Safety Unit, “the Minister and police want this to move forward as quickly as possible, but the final decision on when it will be discussed involves others also, and we cannot give a timeframe.”

George Morphakis added that a few proposals have already been submitted by international companies but that no tenders have been asked for yet.

“The first stage of the eventual system will see around 40 fixed and 40 mobile cameras installed, with the rest over the remaining two stages.

It will be a three-year project and will cost in the region of €28 million.”

Commenting, the Director of the Police Traffic Unit Theodoros Achilleos told the Mail: “As far as we are concerned, we call on a new traffic camera system to be installed as quickly as possible for the sake of road safety.”

It’s believed that mobile cameras will be preferred since they have been judged to be the most effective both in preventing traffic accidents and in aiding on-duty traffic police.

Police data shows that during the ten months the camera traffic system was in operation, accidents were minimised by 70 per cent.

The old system was deactivated on September 21, 2007 after the government pulled out of a contract with the supplier after negotiations to fix technical problems collapsed.

In January, an order from the Nicosia District Court banned the Communications Ministry from removing the cameras from their installed locations.

The plaintiff is suing for more than four million euros in damages.

A number of offending motorists have still not been tracked down, since they are either avoiding the summon-servers or have given a false home address to the police.
 

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