Limassol and Nicosia new €7m traffic control system in two years

Limassol and Nicosia are will get a new urban traffic control system in two years’ time, with the closing date for tenders to supply, install, configure, operate and maintain it set for 5 April.

According to an announcement by the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Control Centre of the new system, which is set to cost over €7m, will be at the Headquarters of the Department of Public Works in Nicosia.

The system will also be in the position to connect up to 500 photo-controlled intersections nationwide for remote monitoring.

The project, with an estimated cost of €7,13 million + VAT, includes a 24-month execution period and a 5-year maintenance period.

The tender was opened by the Department of Public Works on 19 January. The project aims at better traffic management, which will increase road capacity, reduce vehicle travel time, and improve road safety. The system will collect traffic data from sensors placed at key points of the road network in urban areas, process them in real time and give instructions on how to operate traffic lights.

Furthermore, it will adjust the time of the green traffic light according to the volume of traffic, aiming to reduce delays and coordinate the operation of adjacent photo-controlled junctions on road corridors, reduce the "start-stop" effect, while reducing fuel consumption and air polluting emissions. A fundamental aim is to prevent road collisions through immediate intervention since it allows the implementation of strategies such as restricting access to specific areas and times. It also allows traffic monitoring and will provide the possibility of intervention by the control center to bypass road works or road collisions.

The main advantages of the system are the reduction of travel time by 10-25%, delays by 15-30% and reduction of "stop-start" by 10-30%. As well as reduction of public transport travel time by 28%, fuel consumption by 8-10%, emissions by 10-15%, resulting in reduced air quality burden and improved quality of life. The project is implemented under the EU cohesion policy programme "THALEIA 2021-2027" with the co-financing of the European Union.

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