The Transport Ministry does not consider that the project has failed; nevertheless it is willing to give the sum requested by the municipal council for the preparation of a study. It is awaiting a reply to the letter sent to Vafeadis by the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos.

The weight of the next move on Makariou Avenue is now transferred to the Ministry of Transport, following the letter that the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos, sent to the Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafeadis, concerning the municipal council's decision for a partial opening of the avenue. According to information held by "P", the Mayor of Nicosia is requesting confirmation of the Ministry of Transport's position on covering the funding, so that the necessary study can be prepared, which would document any changes to the design of the project and could be put before the European Commission.

The Makariou matter returns to the foreground at a time when, according to the announcement of the municipal groups of DISY, DIKO, ELAM and EDEK, the centre of Nicosia is under increased pressure, both from the works under way and from the traffic restrictions affecting access to the area. These particular municipal groups of the Municipality of Nicosia call on the Ministry of Transport to proceed with the implementation of the municipal council's decision, arguing that it is a democratically taken decision that must be respected. As they state, the centre of Nicosia has become particularly difficult to access, mainly because of the works and the closure of Kritis Street, while there is no road link that adequately facilitates movement from one side of the centre to the other.

Not everyone wants an opening

It should be stressed that during the public consultation that preceded the start of the project, the citizens of Nicosia had come out in favour of the conversion of Makariou Avenue into a pedestrian street. Despite this, the discussion about the return of vehicles is coming back to the foreground. Indeed, businesspeople in the area who spoke to "P" state that they invested millions of euros, taking as a given the character of the project and the shift towards sustainable mobility. As they argue, "specific municipal councillors and the deputy mayor of Nicosia, perhaps in view of the elections, instead of defending sustainable mobility, are promoting specific interests."

It cannot be opened directly

Speaking to "P", the Minister of Transport Alexis Vafeadis made clear that the ministry cannot proceed directly to the partial opening of Makariou Avenue, as, he explained, there are specific procedures that must be followed. According to Mr Vafeadis, from the moment there is a decision of the municipal council, a relevant study will have to be prepared, documenting the request for a change of design. This study will have to examine, among other things, whether the proposed change is consistent with the objectives that had been set before the funding of the project.

Subsequently, the data will have to be assessed by the competent committee, which will be called upon to take the final decision. The Minister of Transport noted that this is not a simple administrative decision, but a project that was funded with specific terms and objectives, which will have to be taken into account in any differentiation. Mr Vafeadis also stated that, on the basis of the funding agreement, the project will have to be assessed over a five-year period, in order to establish whether it achieved the objectives for which it was approved and funded. He clarified, however, that this period does not count from the day the project became operational, but from the last disbursement of an instalment from the European funds. Given that the last disbursement was made recently, according to the minister, there remain another four years until the completion of the assessment period. Asked to comment on the position of the ministry and the Department of Public Works on the course of the project, Mr Vafeadis stated that Makariou Avenue is assessed as successful, since, according to the ministry's estimate, the objectives set at the time of its approval and funding have been achieved.

Upgrade with functionality

For his part, the Mayor of Nicosia, Charalambos Prountzos, stresses that what is sought is a balance between the need for sustainable mobility in the centre and the practical service of residents, businesses and visitors. In relation to Makariou, he notes that the municipal council has taken a decision for a partial opening of the avenue and that the matter is now linked to the wider functionality of the centre. As he points out, daily access to the area is affected by the traffic arrangements, which remained fragmentary and incomplete since the Ministry of Transport has not promoted any other project for the creation of a network of bus lanes and does not intend to do so until at least 2029, according to the plans given by the Ministries of Interior and Transport, a fact that makes the examination of practical solutions necessary. The mayor's letter to the Minister of Transport moves in this direction, as it requests confirmation of the ministry's commitment to cover the cost for the preparation of the study required by the ministry, before any change is put before the competent European bodies.

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