Cyprus Cycling Federation demands urgent expansion of safe infrastructure

The Cycling Federation issued an official appeal to the government and municipal authorities of the country, stating the critical need for an immediate revision of urban planning schemes and an acceleration in the construction of specialized bicycle lanes. The leadership of the sports organization stressed that the current state of the road network poses a direct threat to the lives and health of people, as both recreational cyclists and professional athletes are forced to train on busy public highways amid heavy traffic. Activists insist that the creation of protected and separated infrastructure should become a state priority in order to reduce the level of accidents and fatalities on the roads.

Representatives of the federation noted that in recent years the popularity of cycling in the region has increased several times, yet the development of the urban environment has completely stagnated, ignoring modern European safety standards. Cyclists regularly face aggressive behavior from drivers, a lack of road markings, warning signs and adequate night lighting on popular routes. The organization is calling on the relevant ministries to develop a comprehensive national strategy that will include not merely drawing lines on sidewalks, but designing fully physically separated bike lanes connecting residential areas with the central parts of cities and sports facilities.

In its statement, the leadership of the cycling community also pointed to the significant economic and environmental benefits the region will gain if the infrastructure reform is successfully implemented. The development of cycling routes will significantly ease congestion on central streets, reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere and increase the overall attractiveness of cities for foreign tourists who prefer active holidays. The federation expressed its readiness to provide its experts to work jointly with the Ministry of Transport engineers on the design of new routes, but warned that if the authorities continue to do nothing, they intend to initiate mass peaceful protests to draw the attention of the international community to the safety issue.