PAPHOS traffic has reached extremes with an out of date central road network system and a maze of endless road works pushing traffic from the town centre to the outskirts.
Transport specialists have advised a number of measures to be taken.
According to officials, the central road network has essentially stayed the same for the last twenty years, despite the fact that the population of the town has more than trebled during the same period.
The recommendations of the experts include, increased policing and the creation of more parking spaces and the building of more traffic islands, especially close to traffic lights.
The experts said that although problems with traffic flow have been apparent for some time, it has now become extreme. The affected areas have now out of central Paphos to include the outskirts of the town.
Paphos Mayor Savvas Vergas, discussing the issue on local radio yesterday, noted that in order to decongest the town centre pressure must be put on the relevant ministry to speed up work on the first ring road which is being built around Paphos.
Vergas said the second phase of this new road, the North Circular, would soon be completed. This section runs from the entrance into Paphos to Elados Avenue.
The mayor added that pressure must also be used to push ahead the completion of the West Circular road, which will run from the junction of ‘Viofos’ to the Tomb of the Kings road.
Residents of central Paphos and the surrounding villages such as Chlorokas and Emba have long been complaining about the terrible state of the Paphos roads and huge congestion problems caused by large amounts of traffic trying to gain access to central Paphos, especially during peak times.
Businesswoman, mother and Emba resident Gloria Anathassiou said: “It’s a bottleneck every morning. The roads into Paphos are mostly single lanes and after I have spent hours in traffic to drop the kids at school, I then have to navigate roadworks and traffic jams and delays just to get to work. It’s all very stressful.”
Further pressure is being added to the appalling traffic problem by upgrading works being undertaken by SABBA, the Paphos sewerage board, with recent calls from the mayor voicing his frustration with the different contractors undertaking the work, pushing for them to speed up and complete individual phases as quickly as possible.He also called on the public to try and show some patience in a difficult situation.
This sentiment was echoed by the manager of SABBA, Efthichious Malakidies, who assured that all work that could be ‘closed off’ by August 7, would be, in plenty of time for the main holiday period.By this he was referring to the filling in of open trenches and holes to make roads passable to vehicles, until SABBA work commences again after the holiday period.
Vergas further pointed out that much-needed improvements to the three main roads in central Paphos, Grivas Dighenis Avenue, Elados Avenue and Evagoros Pallikarides would contribute significantly to the solution of the traffic flow problem.
In addition, officials believe a planned main road which would run from the Kaligula roundabout in Kato Paphos, towards the Ezousa river would better connect Paphos Internaional airport with the tourist area of Kato Paphos, making access to both far easier.The road will be a continuation of Ayia Anayari avenue, which is a wide dual carriageway.
