Public protests, complaints and social media videos highlighting various infrastructural errors have dominated local discussion in Limassol over the past ten days. The backlash was triggered by the sudden placement of bright orange and red bollards across several urban roads. The project, implemented by the Public Works Department, represents the initial phase of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan aimed at alleviating chronic traffic congestion in the city.
The primary objective of the scheme is the construction of five kilometres of cycle lanes along a continuous route. This network will connect residential neighbourhoods via secondary roads while integrating new paths with existing cycling infrastructure. Alongside new bus lanes, the project aims to support public transport and promote multimodal travel using funding from the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Consultancy and planning phases
In 2022, the Limassol Municipality and the Public Works Department held extensive discussions regarding traffic management measures and the promotion of the sustainable mobility agenda. Following internal deliberations, authorities finalised a package of measures with the assistance of Mic-Hub, a prominent Italian mobility consultancy. The firm was appointed by the European Union through the European Investment Bank to act as the technical advisor for the project across Europe.
Local authorities agreed on the routing by incorporating the designs and recommendations of the Italian consultants. The consultancy firm had originally proposed additional interventions that the Public Works Department supported, but the Limassol Municipality preferred a gradual rollout to monitor public reaction. Initial proposals included turning Leontiou Street into a one-way road with an extended bus lane, alongside similar measures for Agias Zonis Street, Agias Fylaxeos Street and Thessalonikis Street.
Public consultation and municipal decisions
The project currently under development was presented to the public with minor modifications during a public consultation event on 1 February 2023 at the Panos Solomonidis Cultural Centre. Further presentations took place later, particularly when local opposition intensified regarding the implementation of bus lanes on Nikou Pattichi Street.
Sources indicate that the Public Works Department and the Limassol Municipality held approximately 10 meetings between 2021 and 2022 to finalise the project designs and reach a final decision. During the February 2023 presentation, the former Mayor of Limassol, Nicos Nicolaides, outlined the local traffic strategy based on public transport, micromobility promotion, transport support measures and road infrastructure works. The municipal leadership presented seven distinct measures under its responsibility, concluding that the city was taking its first decisive step toward sustainable urban mobility.
