WE’VE all cursed as illegally parked cars have snarled up the traffic on a four-lane avenue, just widened by the government at great expense and inconvenience… And we’ve probably all flouted parking regulations ourselves, stopping on a double yellow line or climbing onto a pavement… just for a minute, honest.
The extent of the problem was confirmed this week before a parliamentary committee, which heard that a full 40 per cent of motorists parked illegally in Nicosia. Blame for this situation is usually directed at motorists, and more particularly at our national reluctance to walk the few extra metres from a legal parking spot.
Indeed, there are legal parking spaces available for those willing to make the effort. But have we thought about what would happen if those 40 per cent of illegally parked cars looked for a legal slot? They would run out very fast.
This was the crux of Tuesday’s committee discussion. Just as the rapid development of Nicosia far outstripped the development of its road network, which is only now beginning to catch up, so public car parks still cater for the days when the city had far fewer inhabitants, when each household only had one car – let alone the current two or three.
The result is rampant illegal parking, which in turn undermines the government’s efforts to ensure a smoother flow of cars in the city through improved roads and traffic control mechanisms. Deputies pointed out that proper facilities must urgently be provided for the GSP stadium (which hardly has parking for 10 per cent of its capacity), the University, International State Fair, and General Hospital (nothing will happen there because the building will soon be decommissioned).
Yet that is not enough. Parking is only part of the problem. The lack of public transport is another. If we are to have cleaner cities, if people are to be discouraged from adding to the rush-hour traffic jams, they need a fast, reliable and cheap alternative to go about their business every day.
These are big, integrated transport infrastructure projects that cash-strapped municipalities cannot in their wildest dreams afford. It is up to the government to provide the vision and the investment (with EU help) for public transport systems across our towns. Only thus can the problem of congestion truly be addressed and the daily traffic nightmare be tackled.
Sporting failures
THE discovery of a ‘designer steroid’ that had until now been undetectable in doping controls is fast developing into the biggest drug scandal in sport, with top British sprinter Dwain Chambers now joining up to 20 American athletes in testing positive for the drug.
The International Association of Athletics Federations is now preparing to retest all 400 samples taken from competitors at the World Championships in Paris in August, while the test which detects the drug is expected to be available in Britain within days.
The possible emergence of a widespread conspiracy involving the world’s top athletes and coaches to cheat the system would be a killer blow to the sport on the eve of next year’s Athens Olympics. The authorities have less than a year to crack down. They must do so without hesitation if the spirit of the games is to retain the slightest shred of credibility.
