THE CENTRE of Polis is all but deserted. Many of the tables and chairs in cafes and restaurants remain empty, and only a smattering of visitors can be seen on the once bustling main street.
Local businessman Phillip Michael, 45, is demanding that urgent action is taken immediately to turn the situation around, although he fears it may already be too late.
Michael said: “There are a lot of problems in the centre of Polis. The biggest is the lack of any interest from the municipality or authorities.”
Michael spent time in South Africa and returned to Polis over two decades ago. In that time he’s witnessed the decline of the town.
He said: “We’ve got the old market right in the centre of the square and tourists come to see it as it’s widely advertised, but I feel embarrassed to tell them that we don’t actually have one. It’s been closed for 15 years.”
The building is now all but empty save a lone butchers shop. The doors to the market are open and wandering visitors are puzzled by the rows of empty stalls.
“It was a traditional market mainly for food. A few of us have been asking when the authorities are going to open it properly. They always say there are plans for the market but nothing ever happens,” he said.
The local businessman added: “We all have businesses here and we say, why don’t the tourist buses come any more but it’s because there’s nothing left in the square.”
According to Michael the number of coaches arriving in the centre is nominal not helped by the fact that the main street leading to the square has 26 empty shops .“I came back to Polis in 1990 when I bought my business and it was the first year the area was running as a square, it used to be a street. I used to feel so good here, there was a real Cypriot feel but sadly that has now changed.”
Michael has two businesses in the centre of the town but will close one of them, a souvenir shop, in a couple of months.
“I am going to close my shop. On the street where it’s located, most of the shops are now closed and there are buildings ready to fall down. It’s an accident waiting to happen and no one is doing anything about it.”
“This strip of Polis is now dead .From what I can see as a businessman everything is focused on Latsi. Even the traffic signs point to Latsi.”
He continued, “The authorities not doing anything to improve the situation. We have big holes in the street, I have one outside my shop which people have tripped and fallen and street lights which haven’t worked for more than two years.”
Michael has complained to the municipality on numerous occasions both in writing and verbally,
“They say they’re going to do something but nothing happens. It’s not all the fault of the municipality. There aren’t enough people coming to the centre. There is no future because no-one seems to care .Its a disgrace.”
Locals say that numerous shops and apartments are now empty. “People are leaving Polis as there is no work ,the crisis isn’t helping.”
Michael is also a partner in a small family hotel in nearby Lyssos village which is doing well. “This is because we advertise, we look after our customers and we don’t rip people off. Cyprus generally is very expensive now, the same can be said of Polis.”
