Change of plans for Limassol’s Park & Ride

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades on Friday said it was worth reconsidering if a Park & Ride would be beneficial in Limassol’s Ayios Athanasios industrial area, after a meeting with stakeholders in the area.

Park & Ride has been rolled out by the transport ministry in Nicosia aimed at easing traffic congestion. Drivers can park at the GSP stadium and take the bus which has a specific lane to Solomos Square.

Its popularity has marked it as a successful venture, prompting interest in other cities.

During his visit in Limassol, Vafeades was briefed by the Ayios Athanasios industry association (Syviaa) along with Amathounda mayor Kyriacos Xsias, that the area already has a lot of traffic issues.

They reiterated a request to create another entry and exit road to help decongest traffic and offer a route for emergency cases.

“It has become clear what the real needs of the industrial area are,” Vafeades told CNA.

“We have concluded that if we want to help, we first have to help workers in the industrial area.”

Head of the association Vasos Demetriades said they were concerned Park & Ride in the area would only serve “to burden traffic in the area even more.”

“We have more than 5,000 employees, apart from daily visitors, with commercial cars and delivery trucks.”

Vafeades said they had agreed to find solutions on how to reduce the congestion in the area. Asked if there were second thoughts on creating Park & Ride, he said it had become clear that without a drastic reduction in traffic “it may not be feasible to have Park & Ride here.”

He added that he was optimistic after the meeting because a number of other solutions were discussed, “perhaps better than Park & Ride.”

As far as other Park & Ride points in Limassol, Vafeades said there had been a verbal agreement with Tsirio stadium and the finance ministry’s approval was pending.

“This will work soon I hope.”

The minister specified he was waiting to hear from the construction company renovating the Spyros Kyprianou sports centre to point out which sites would remain free.