Limassol villagers protest against speeding motorcycles

Villagers from the Limassol district on Saturday staged a protest against motorcyclists speeding along the road between the villages of Trimiklini and Ayia Eirini.

The protest took place in the village of Ayios Mamas, with demonstrators closing the road for 15 minutes.

They said motorcyclists who use the road often reach speeds of over 250 kilometres per hour, while the speed limit is just 50.

A joint statement was made by the local villages’ mukhtars, in which they said there are “many motorcyclists uploading videos to social media and competing with each other to see who can ride the distance between Trimiklini and Ayia Eirini in seven minutes.”

Under normal circumstances, they said, the trip is a 20-minute drive.

“We have nothing against motorcyclists and especially nothing against those who ride according to the law. This phenomenon, however, must stop, as, in addition to noise pollution, we are in danger every day from motorcyclists who drive at such speeds,” they said.

They added that when people attempt to turn onto the road, “they see the road is clear and then suddenly a motorcycle appears in front of them.”

“It is dangerous, these are residential areas,” they said.

They called for the police to more heavily man the area, and said they may “escalate measures” if nothing is done.