A number of projects aimed at easing traffic congestion in Limassol will be set in motion, the government pledged on Monday.

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades held a brainstorming meeting with the mayors of the Limassol district.

The meeting, he said, aimed to get feedback from the municipalities and to classify the proposed traffic-related projects by order of priority.

“In a city where every year some 10,000 cars get registered, the road network needs constant upgrading,” Vafeades later told reporters.

“That is why this meeting aimed to achieve coordination, in terms of which projects should be implemented first, as well as to discuss financing and to coordinate the subsequent implementation, so that we can make sure the projects finish on time.”

The minister and the mayors discussed short-term, medium-term and long-term projects to alleviate the traffic jams plaguing Limassol for years.

Vafeades said he hoped that by the end of the year authorities would invite bids for three segments of the Limassol northern bypass.

The northern bypass is a proposed major urban highway parallel to the existing coastal motorway, designed to alleviate chronic city traffic congestion. With an estimated budget of up to €200 million, the project aims to connect the Amathus/Germasogeia area in the east with the Kourion/Ypsonas municipalities in the west.

It has been discussed on and off for the past two decades.

The minister has asked for a definitive list of projects, set out by order of priority, to be handed to him in two weeks’ time.

Asked about the Park & Ride routes, he conceded that those available in Limassol today may not have been used optimally.

Despite this, he added, the government and local authorities need to come up with alternative solutions for public transit.

On the plans for bus lanes, Vafeades stressed that these should not be seen in isolation, but as part of a broader effort.

He and Limassol municipality agree that bus lanes should come into operation only once there is sufficient parking space as well as an adequate number of buses.

“It would be wrong to have an empty bus lane, where one bus passes by every so often,” he said.

Limassol mayor Yiannis Armeftis expressed satisfaction at the minister’s initiative.

Timing is key, he added.

“Every day that goes by makes life insufferable for Limassolians.”

Asked whether there are thoughts on creating a tram service for Limassol, the mayor said a preparatory study is underway.

“We can’t rule out anything. We want to implement something that will make life easier for the people of Limassol,” he said.

Curium mayor Pantelis Georgiou said that of the estimated 90,000 vehicles that daily transit the main highway, around 35,000 use the roads inside his municipality.