In a country where the installation of bus stop shelters is still up for debate and where suggestions for car-free zones in EU-funded sustainable urban mobility projects are met with resistance, one cannot expect much.
However, it is worth questioning whether government agencies realise that we are decades behind most European countries, which are often much larger in size.
In this era of explosive technological development and artificial intelligence, where everything is changing at a breakneck pace, this small EU member state is still struggling to formulate a National Transport Strategy with a horizon set at… 2040. By then, even buses may be considered outdated.
Currently, there is an ongoing public consultation on the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) for the National Strategic Land Transport Plan. This ambitious strategy, as it has been characterised, aims to increase the share of public transport trips to 17%, with a corresponding reduction in car use by 14%.
This study has sparked reactions, not because it proposes far less than what most EU countries already implement but because it suggested the introduction of urban tolls and low-emission zones in the cities of Nicosia, Larnaca, and Limassol to restrict car traffic. For the record, after the backlash, the Ministry of Transport clarified that this proposal was rejected.
Nevertheless, the implementation of the proposed measures is expected to reduce car use by 13.45%, reaching 83.43% by 2040, according to estimates.
It is also noted that the shift towards more sustainable public transport is expected to increase by 13.45%, reaching 16.57% of the total transport share.
Let us truly hope that countries like Denmark do not get their hands on this study. Its capital, Copenhagen, has already reduced car use by approximately 30%, with 62% of residents using bicycles for their daily commutes. Or take the Netherlands as an example, where Amsterdam has achieved a 25% reduction in car use over the past two decades by constructing over 400 kilometres of cycle paths and improving public transport.
There are countless other examples: Paris reduced car traffic in the city centre by approximately 30% in the last 15 years, Milan achieved a 20% reduction in car use in just one decade through the implementation of a congestion charge zone, and London saw a 40% decrease in vehicle use with a similar approach.
In our own capital, thousands of drivers endure daily commutes, and despite the declarations of all governments (with the exception of the successful Park&Ride measure, which is not enough), they have failed to resolve an issue that is no longer a problem for cities with millions of inhabitants.
We can only hope to achieve much less than these countries in… 16 years from now. We are essentially planning an outdated future for the next generations.
Imagine what would happen if we were not part of the EU and were not compelled to implement projects that promote pedestrian, bicycle, and public transport mobility.urban congestion. bus stop shelters, car-free zones, National Transport Strategy
