Pedestrian safety: the wrong answer

Sir, 

According to Nicosia Police Chief Christos Dionysiou, in the last five years, 97 pedestrians lost their lives while 1,422 were injured. Dionysiou announced last week that the police department was launching a campaign focusing on the prevention of road accidents for pedestrians. As part of the campaign, 1,500 reflective armbands have been prepared in association with Laiki Insurance Company. The campaign comes as a 75-year-old woman was killed on Wednesday afternoon in Paphos after being run over by a pick-up truck.

So what is wrong with this picture? Shouldn’t the answer have been to stop cars parking on the few pavements that exist, or to even build pavements as Paphos has very few in existence. I despair at the stupidity and insufficient common sense, the passing of the buck to all and sundry and never taking responsibility. I often see elderly people trundling down the road oblivious to road users, but what choice do they have? I am surprised pedestrians are not killed on a daily basis, what with the way Cypriots drive and the lack of decent paving. But to suggest arm bands as the only solution is laughable. Come on Cyprus get your act together; time is running out and so it is for your next victims because of your tardiness and lack of infrastructure.

L. M. Barrett, Paphos

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