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Χαράλαμπος Θεοπέμπτου |
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20 February 2005 Cyprus and the Kyoto protocol Every year in September cities in Cyprus together with hundreds of other European cities organizes the "Mobility" events that are also known as "In Town without my car". That is unfortunately the only time that Cypriot authorities think about mass transport and soon after the TV cameras turn away, that also signals the end of their interest in the matter. Car emissions in Cyprus make up the majority of our contribution to global warming which we have already felt the consequences of. Unfortunately the problem is much more complex and is not just a matter of setting up a number of bus routes. Cypriots are not used to this mode of transport and we need to work towards this, in small but effective and inexpensive steps. On these lines, the Cyprus Green Party has for sometime now, been pushing for: (a) The introduction of school buses. We all know how abruptly city traffic changes on school holidays. School bus service is easy to set up and it has been running successfully for years now, by a number of schools in Cyprus. In addition it will cost nothing to the government to implement, since parents will foot the bill. (b) The introduction of "Park n Ride" spaces at the motorway entrance to all cities in Cyprus. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the way the educational system works, teachers often find themselves obliged to spent a year (or more) teaching in schools, some distance from their base, in other cities and communities. In order to share the cost of travel, a lot of them share cars. Car sharing is the main reason why one sees so many cars oddly parked at city outskirts and near motorways. The proposal is to built (free) parking spaces, and encourage people to share their car. (c) Shuttle buses linking the Larnaca airport with all the major cities on the island, is another measure that needs to be seriously considered. If this is combined with the Park n ride system, it would mean that travelers will be able to leave their car parked there, and take the bus to the airport. This will greatly reduce the demand on the Airport parking area. Clever schemes, like discounted or even free rides for air ticket holders and free parking, will serve to encourage people to use the service. A number of other ideas crop up in discussions, like the idea of a tram running along the Yialias River from Lakatamia to Nicosia, behind the Nicosia General Hospital and others like parking areas on the side of one way city streets. The conclusion is that, if one really cares there are lots of things to do, in order to both ease the traffic problem and contribute towards combating global warming.
Charalampos Theopemptou |
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