Failure of Paphos Cycle Paths

THE PAPHOS Municipality has decided to abolish a pilot programme introduced in 2005 which involved the construction of a 2,500 metre long bicycle path.

Savvas Savva, an engineer for the Municipality, confirmed yesterday that the “paths will be demolished, or they will stop being used”.

The EU, with the help of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, had funded the project, which was introduced last April after years of delay. Under the framework of the LIFE programme, the one-year pilot scheme aimed to promote cycling and provide a safe area for it to be practiced, but has since not seen a great deal of use.

The project, which cost £40,000, seemed ‘doomed’ from the start as opposition became apparent very quickly, with complaints coming not only from residents whose properties bordered the path but also from Green Party deputy George Perdikis late last year.

Perdikis disagreed with the way the paths had been built, saying that such schemes should be thought out much more carefully. It has since become clear that the concrete blocks used to separate the paths from the road pose dangers –both to cyclists and drivers, especially at night. Added to this, one of the biggest complaints has been regarding the narrowing of roads to accommodate the paths.

Most members of the Municipal Council supported the demolition of the paths from the beginning, explaining the scheme’s failure on the way the paths were designed and the unsuitability of the area in which they were placed.

To help promote the programme, a large number of bicycles were donated to schools in Paphos by the Municipality, but even this effort has not been enough to promote the benefits of cycling.