Transport expert Loukas Dimitriou told Sigma’s “Protoselido” programme that a new TomTom Traffic Index reveals Cypriot drivers lose an average of almost 100 hours annually stuck in congestion.
The worst delays occur in the Nicosia area, where a 10 km journey now takes 26 minutes on average.
Cyprus ranks 82nd worst in the world for traffic congestion, while Greece ranks 37th.
Private cars dominate roads
Dimitriou stressed that the situation is actually worse than the raw numbers suggest because 95 % of trips in Cyprus are made by private car – compared with only 5 % using public transport.
In London, which suffers similar delays, 57 % of people use public transport, spreading the load.
“We are comparing ourselves with megacities like London and Bangkok, but they have metro, trams and reliable buses. We don’t,” he said.
Solution lies in public transport and walking
The only realistic way out of the congestion crisis, according to Dimitriou, is to get people out of their cars and onto reliable, punctual public transport – or simply building more roads will not solve the problem.
He also encouraged Cypriots to walk or cycle for short journeys instead of automatically reaching for car keys.
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