Ministers seek solutions to Nicosia traffic hell

MINISTERS yesterday said authorities would work in the next 15-20 days to resolve some traffic congestion in Nicosia but it could be two years before the capital’s problems were entirely solved.

Last night’s meeting was chaired by Justice Minister Kypros Chrysostomides, who said there were some direct and immediate solutions that could be taken for smoother traffic flow.

Participating in the meeting was Communications and Works Minister Nicos Nicolaides and the Ministry’s permanent secretary Makis Constantinides, and the Director of Road Transport Doros Achilleas.

Speaking after the meeting, Chrysostomides said one solution was to put more police on Athalassa Avenue and the Nicosia-Limassol highway, near Archangelos and near the Orphanides roundabout.

Authorities would also see what could be done to reset some traffic lights to assist the flow further.

He said there was a proposal to perhaps change the flow on Athalassa Avenue, which could have two lanes. This would be combined with a new exit to the highway.

On the highway itself, there could be an extension of the lane turning into Athalassa Avenue.

“These are some of the measures which we believe can be accomplished in 15-20 days to facilitate the distribution of motorists to and from Nicosia,” Chrysostomides said.

Nicolaides said more permanent and effective measures to combat traffic congestion would materialise when two major projects at the entry to Nicosia are finished.

One is a roundabout at the GSP stadium and the second is the extension of the four lanes from Alambra to Nicosia up to six lanes.

“We will intensify our efforts so that we can ask for tenders before July,” he said.

From then it could take two years, but this would finally solve the capita’s traffic problems, Nicolaides said.