By Athena Karsera
DISGRUNTLED boat and jet-ski owners yesterday demonstrated outside the Presidential Palace in protest at proposed changes in the law on fast moving sea vessels.
Approximately 90 members of the Union for Small Businessmen and Retailers’ (Povek) Watersport and Recreational Goods’ Owners’ section congregated outside the Palace, along with 55 cars, all towing boats, speed-boats and jet-skis.
Povek secretary-general Melios Georgiou yesterday told the Cyprus Mailthat the union was pleased with results of the demonstration: “It was completely successful, a lot of people turned up.”
Georgiou said although President Glafcos Clerides had not been able to receive the demonstrators personally, the Union’s memorandum had been presented to director of the President’s office, Nicos Panayiotou.
“He showed great understanding when listening to our problems and promised to pass all we said on to the President,” Georgiou said.
He said the Union would now wait to see what the government’s next move would be, noting the watersport owners were “determined to take further measures if our opinions are ignored.”
The Union’s memorandum said that plans to change the location of several beach corridors for speed boats and the closing down of others would deprive watersport professionals of the “main tool of their trade.”
The union said it had studied the proposed changes and found that most of the corridors had been moved to areas further from prospective customers and on beaches that were unsuitable for watersports.
Boat owners want the corridors to remain as they are until December 31, 2000, and that, until then, interim studies on the best new locations should carried out with the co-operation of all interested parties.
Earlier this month, the House Communications and Works Committee and Minister Leontios Ierodiaconou agreed that the number of safety lanes to the beach should be cut in an effort to limit noise pollution and ensure the safety of swimmers.
The Committee expressed concern that fewer safety lanes would mean a crowding of water-sport facilities at the remaining ones.
Deputies have suggested that the new measures not be implemented until June 1, 2001, to give those affected the opportunity to adjust, but the government insists the proposals should be enforced as soon as possible.
Other proposed changes include making life-vests, breathing apparatus, first-aid kits, oars, fire extinguishers and water containers mandatory equipment on any boat, regardless of its size.
Further proposals include forbidding driving a boat after consuming alcohol, for drivers to have a special licence and for boat owners to pay tariffs for their permits.
Committee discussions on the issue began in October last year following a spate of serious accidents – one of them fatal – involving jet-skis and other vessels.
