More than an hour a day in our cars

FOR a nation obsessed with the automobile, Cypriot drivers spend an average of 102 minutes in their cars every day and have some of the worst driving habits in Europe.

A comprehensive survey of 150 drivers undertaken last month by Noverna Consulting and Research and published yesterday in Politis also found that journeys which should take no more than 10 minutes, were lasting double the time. Certain areas are even experiencing circulation problems throughout the duration of an entire day.

The situation is causing many workers to arrive at the office in a highly-stressed frame of mind. The monetary cost of the traffic chaos has been worked out at £56 per person, per month in fuel. This accounts for five to seven per cent of the monthly wage of a private sector worker.

The island has seen a significant increase in the number of vehicles on the road over the last 10-15 years, with some households owning one car for every family member.

The continuing lack of a decent public transport system is not helping matters either, with 76 per cent of Cypriots questioned saying they have never used the bus. Fifty-seven per cent say that they would try the bus if they thought it suited their needs.

Regarding poor driving behaviour, research shows that 80 per cent of drivers fail to give proper priority to pedestrians, 36 per cent fail to stop at amber traffic lights and 44 per cent continue to speak on their mobile phones, despite facing the prospect of a two-point penalty on their licences since last November. Cyprus is ranked third amongst EU countries, behind Portugal and Greece, in the number of road deaths per capita.
Last year saw 116 people killed on Cyprus’ roads.

Three years ago, a study into traffic problems showed that £18 million of investment was needed. Today, that figure has risen to £29 million, £6 million of which would come from a government subsidy. An improved transportation system would also cut the amount of traffic in Nicosia by up to 4,000 vehicles every morning.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.