Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
With the start of the new school year, parents were all looking forward to sending their kids off to school. Finally, a break from the chaos, right? Wrong. That cherished sense of relief is quickly overshadowed by the real chaos — the Cyprus traffic jam. For anyone who has dared to venture onto the roads lately, the only thing more common than honking horns is the overwhelming sense of déjà vu as cars crawl, inch by inch, on highways that seem more like parking lots.
For years, Nicosia proudly held the title of "Busiest Roads in Cyprus" — a trophy nobody asked for but everyone dealt with. However, the crown has shifted. If you think traffic in the capital is bad, just take a drive along the stretch from Germasogeia to the Limassol Hospital. But prepare yourself: it’s a bumper-to-bumper rollercoaster that never goes up — only sideways. This stretch has earned the dubious honor of being the busiest road in Cyprus, with a staggering 90,000 vehicles clogging up the highway every 24 hours.
Is it the infrastructure? Is it the population growth? Or maybe it's the simple fact that everyone decided to use the same 500 meters of road at the exact same time. Whatever the reason, patience isn’t just a virtue on these roads — it’s a survival tool. Forget your morning coffee; a dash of zen is the only thing that’ll get you through.
Limassol residents have taken over as the new victims, with even the Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafeades, throwing in the towel, admitting that Limassol's congestion now outpaces Nicosia’s infamous gridlock. “The problem hasn’t been solved,” Vafeades conceded, “but Limassol’s definitely winning the traffic Olympics.”
While some measures have been introduced, like full-day schools and staggered working hours, the truth is that it hasn’t exactly turned the roads into speedways. And so, until that miracle happens — whenever that may be — patience and more patience will be required.
For those daring to drive from Spyrou Kyprianou Avenue to Troodos in Nicosia, where 48,000 vehicles are moving at a snail’s pace, just remember: Limassol's got it worse. So buckle up, turn up your radio, and practice deep breathing. It's the new normal in the land of sun, sea, and… unrelenting traffic.
