Driving in Cyprus

NICOSIA – Minister of Communications and Works Dr Erato Kozakou – Marcoullis has pledged here Thursday that Cyprus is committed to put an end to the senseless carnage on roads and all possible efforts will be exerted towards this end.

Speaking at the Road Safety Seminar, organized by the Embassy of Sweden, in Nicosia, Marcoullis expressed her appreciation to the Embassy and to the Swedish Trade Council, for the seminar “on the most crucial social problem of road safety”.

She said the statistics on persons injured or dead from road accidents around the world are frightening as one million three hundred thousand die every year and 50 million are injured or rendered permanently disabled.

Cyprus, she said, “pays its own heavy toll on the roads. An average of nearly 90 people die every year, about 2.000 are injured and hundreds are permanently disabled”.

In the European context, Marcoullis remarked, “the road safety position of Cyprus is not envious. In 2008 Cyprus ranked 18th out of the 27 EU member states, with 103 fatalities per million population. The corresponding EU average index was 78 and for Sweden, which was third best in Europe together with the United Kingdom, it was only 43”.

Move to end road carnage.

CARS PARKED in disabled spots could be clamped or seized if deputies make good on a threat to put an end to the uncaring attitude of the public, the House heard yesterday.

“Even at Parliament here today, the disabled complained to us that they couldn’t enter the building’s parking area to park,” said DISY MP George Tasou. Tasou did not clarify whether it was because there were no disabled parking spaces at parliament or whether they had been taken.

DIKO MP Antonis Antoniou said the public’s lack of sensitivity for the disabled had left authorities with no choice but to enforce stricter laws when it comes to parking spaces.

Tough talk on disabled parking – Cyprus Mail.

THE RESPONSIBILITY for people’s safety while driving lies with them and not the state, the government said yesterday, urging for a stop to be put on the “insanity that sees dozens die on the roads each year.

“The state cannot drive the car for us,” Communications Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis said at a Road Safety event last night. “The final responsibility for our own safety belongs to each and every one of us.”

Speaking in the event, which was dedicated to youth driving safety, Marcoullis said many people risked their lives on the road “because they like speed or they want to impress with their daring behaviour, because the seatbelt and the helmet spoil their style or they believe they are the exception and they can take drinking.”

Over one third of those killed on the road in Cyprus are youths under the age of 25, she said..

“Rest assured that none of the hundreds of our fellow humans who lost their life on asphalt believed they would be next,” Marcoullis said. ”We all think that these things happen only to others and not us.”

She said those “others” are humans like the rest, who make the same mistakes, the same “foolish heroics”

Full article at ‘Stop the insanity on the roads’ minister says – Cyprus Mail.

According to the Greek language newspaper Phileleftheros, Cyprus is considering reducing the drink drive limit from 22 mg to 9 mg.

They are currently running an opinion poll.  You can give your opinion on the link below.

http://www.philenews.com

ILLEGAL AND errant parkers are the target of a new, satirical media campaign, which shot its first scenes in Nicosia yesterday. The short film includes a segment featuring the awarding of a mock prize to the ‘Citizen of the Year’ who parked the most times on pavements and in disabled parking spaces.

The initiative comes from the Paraplegics’ Association in Cyprus, who came up with the ideas for the project. According to Demetris Lambrianides, the President of the Association, the aim is to ensure pavements are for all of Cyprus’ pedestrians – not just paraplegics.

Satirical campaign to reclaim the pavements – Cyprus Mail.

SINCE 2004 Cyta has reduced the number of road accidents involving its fleet of vehicles by 50 per cent.

In the light of this successful initiative, the telecommunications company is aiming at further improving its road safety record with the introduction of the ‘Responsible Cyta Driver’ scheme.

Under the scheme, each car in the 800-strong fleet of Cyta vehicles now displays a sticker featuring a number that people can call to report instances of bad, or instances of especially considerate, driving.

Also, since last December, Cyta employees who drive logoed vehicles on a regular basis have been undergoing a series of classes on road safety.

Approximately 1,100 Cyta drivers have attended these classes, which are scheduled to complete in April of this year.

“The staff of Cyta, wish to be the model example of good drivers,” said Cyta of the initiative.

Report bad Cyta drivers – Cyprus Mail.

PROJECTS to install storm drains, upgrade sewerage works and other projects in Paphos are turning the road network into a nightmare, exposing 300km of road to chaotic works while inviting 20 compensation claims a week from disgruntled motorists.

The digging up of roads has already led to one death last year while fears continue among local residents over public safety.

Chaos continues on Paphos roads – Cyprus Mail.