ACCESSIBILITY AND GATEWAYS - CYPRUS NATIONAL REPORT

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2 ACCESSIBILITY AND GATEWAYS - CYPRUS NATIONAL REPORT CONTENTS 1 Executive Summary The Island of Cyprus Economic Data Population Data Employment Unemployment The Institutional Framework for Transport Supply and Demand by Mode Transport Organization Land Transport The Public Works Department The Department of Town Planning and Housing The Department of Road Transport District Administrations and Municipalities General Remarks Air Transport The Department of Civil Aviation Maritime Transport The Cyprus Ports Authority The Cyprus Shipping Association The Cyprus Shipping Council Analysis of Transport Infrastructure by Transport Mode Road Network (Flows and Links and Categories of Roads) The Network Profile (Supply Indicators) The Operational Role (Demand Indicators) New Investments (Projects and Plans) Rail Networks (Flows and Links) Air Traffic and Airports (Flows, Hierarchy of Airports, Capacity Building, Efficiency) The Network Profile (Supply Indicators) Air Carriers The Operational Role (Demand Indicators) New Investments (Projects and Plans) Maritime Shipping and Ports (Flows, Hierarchy of Ports, Capacity Building, Efficiency) The Network Profile (Supply Indicators) The Operational Role (Demand Indicators) New Investments (Projects and Plans) Intermodality and Gateways (connectivity, technology levels) Environmental Pressures and Risks Analysis of Transport Infrastructure Problems and Prospects (SWOT) Concluding Remarks on the Structure of Transport Network and Outlining of Policy Priorities

3 8.1 Prioritization of Transport Projects Public Transport Priorities Prioritised List of Measures to Achieve Objectives Concluding Remarks

4 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Map of Cyprus Figure 2: Organizational Chart for the Ministry of Communication and Works Figure 3: Diagrammatic representation of the road hierarchy. Source Geometric Design Standards, Ministry of Communications and Works, Public Works Department Figure 4: Length of Highways in Cyprus Figure 5: Total Length of Roads Figure 6: Map of Cyprus showing Major Road Network, Airports and Ports Figure 7: Nicosia Major Road Network taken from Nicosia Local Plan Figure 8: Kilometres of Roads by Type Figure 9: Density of Roads by Type Figure 10: Road Vehicle Fleet in the Country Figure 11: Larnaca Airport Passenger Movements Figure 12: Total Aircraft Movements in Cyprus Figure 13: Total Passenger Movements in Cyprus Figure 14: Limassol Port Passenger Arrivals and Departures Figure 15: Larnaca Port Passenger Arrivals and Departures Figure 16: Containers Loaded and Unloaded, Figure 17: Freight Loaded and Unloaded,

5 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Economic Data Table 2: GDP composition by Sector Table 3: Population Data for Cyprus Table 4: Employment in Cyprus Table 5: Employment by Sector Table 6: Registered Unemployed, Total and By Sex Table 7: Unemployed Persons by Sectors Level Table 8: Road Infrastructure in Cyprus by Category Table 9: Basic properties of Different Classes of Roads Table 10: Total Length of Roads in Cyprus` Table 11: Density of road network in Cyprus per Road Category Table 12: Length of Public Roads and Annual Expenditure for Road Construction Table 13: Density of Roads by Type Table 14: National Road Transport According To Load Capacity of the Vehicle and type of Transport (2005) Table 15: Vehicle Kilometres (000 s) Travelled on National Road Transport According to Type of Transport (2005) Table 16: International Road Transport According to Gross Vehicle Weight and Type of Transport (2005) Table 17: Vehicle Kilometres (000 s) Travelled on International Road Transport According To Type of Transport (2005) Table 18: International Road Transport By Type Of Transport And Country Of Origin & Destination, Table 19: Department of Public Works Roads, with Volume of Flows Greater than 8200 Veh/Day (For Each Direction) for the Year Table 20: Road Vehicle Fleet in the Country Table 21: Larnaca Airport Passenger, Cargo and Aircraft Movements Table 22: Paphos Airport Passenger, Cargo and Aircraft Movements Table 23: Larnaca and Paphos Scheduled & Charter Passenger Combined Forecasts Table 24 Aircraft, Passengers and Freight Movements, Table 25: Passenger Arrivals / Departures - Limassol, Larnaca Table 26: Containers Loaded and Unloaded, Table 27: Freight Loaded and Unloaded, Table 28: Number of intermodal transport units loaded and unloaded in Cyprus Table 29: SWOT Analysis of Transport Infrastructure Problems Table 30: Estimated Cost of Completion of Urban Roads for the Programming Period

6 ACCESSIBILITY and GATEWAYS 1. Executive Summary CYPRUS NATIONAL REPORT 1.1 Introduction Transport, which is vital to both the economic and social well being of a country, experienced a parallel and related growth over the last 25 years. Transport in Cyprus constitutes an infrastructural sector covering a wide spectrum of different activities such as road, air and sea transport and services allied to transport, mainly provided by travel agencies and shipping offices. The north part, (40%) of the territory of Cyprus has been under Turkish occupation since the 1974 invasion of the island by Turkey. The current Report refers only to the Government controlled part of the island. The dividing line or the green line as it is known which separates the government controlled from the occupied part of the country is shown in Figure 1. Cyprus has developed a road network which services the transportation needs of industry, agriculture, trade, tourism and the public. According to 2005 statistics, the road network in the free areas of Cyprus consists of about km of roads. The main transport problems in Cyprus include, the lack of adequate public transport both in urban and rural areas, over dependence on private car and land transport causing an increase in environmental problems and big accident and fatalities records. The Government of Cyprus is concerned with the inadequate public transport service provided and has been trying to remedy the situation. The most comprehensive attempt has been the execution of a study for the public transport enhancement in Nicosia, completed in In addition, a prioritised list of measures needed to be taken over the next ten years in order to revive and drastically improve the operation of the services that have been established. 1.2 Land Transport The Department of Public Works of the Ministry of Communications and Works has the responsibility for the design, construction, maintenance and improvement of motorways, the majority of rural and interurban road network and the main urban roads. It is responsible for about 35% of paved roads, which constitute the main road network of Cyprus. The remaining roads come under the jurisdiction of the Municipalities and the District Administrations. The Municipalities are responsible for the secondary and local 6

7 urban roads while the District Administration Authorities are responsible for the paved and unpaved district (tertiary) roads and village roads. The road system in Cyprus has been developed over many years. As the population of Cyprus has increased the towns have expanded and the roads have been developed in order to provide for the immediate needs of the local people. The majority of such roads are still therefore dealing with traffic volumes for which they were never intended. The Turkish invasion of 1974 radically changed the programme of road development and created new priorities in order to cover the augmented needs in the government controlled areas, where 80% of the Cyprus population and the greatest portion of development had concentrated. The total length of road infrastructure in Cyprus totals km for the year 2005 compared with km for 2002 and km in For the year 2005 the total road density in Cyprus is 1,313 km/sq.km. In 2005 a total of ,4 th. tonnes of goods were carried by vehicles, of which, ,0 th. tonnes by hires or reward vehicles and ,0 th. tonnes were carried by vehicles for own accounts. For the same year a total of tonnes of goods were moved internationally, to and from Cyprus tonnes of these goods were imported and tonnes of goods were exported. 1.3 Air Transport Air transport and aviation related matters are managed, controlled, and regulated by the Department of Civil Aviation, although the regulation of civil aviation is the responsibility of the Ministry of Communications and Works. There are two international airports in Cyprus in Larnaca and Paphos, situated at 50 and 150 km respectively from Nicosia. On average, these airports register a weekly traffic of 1,249 flights, shared between 36 international air companies and 81 charter services. The location of the above airports is shown in Figure 6 of the Report. Air passenger movement through Larnaca is projected to grow under a medium growth scenario by 4.2 percent per annum reaching passenger movements of 8.7 million by the year Paphos airport is expected to display faster rates of growth than Larnaca over the forecast period, as a result of the introduction of newly licensed scheduled services at Paphos and the airport's slightly greater convenience for most of Limassol as well as for the Paphos area itself, which has been increasing its share of tourist beds in recent years. The passenger projections for Paphos Airport are therefore at 6.8 percent per annum under the medium scenario, reaching 3.7 million passenger movements in

8 Hermes Airports Limited has been awarded the concession to build new passenger terminals and related infrastructure at the two airports, through a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme, to increase their capacity and to improve the quality of services. It is expected that the Paphos Airport is to be completed and become operational before the end of 2008 and the new Larnaka Airport before the end of Civil aircraft landings increased during 2005 and totalled compared to in Passenger arrivals through airports increased to compared to in Maritime Transport All port facilities of the island are under the jurisdiction of the Cyprus Ports Authority a public autonomous organization under the supervision of the Minister of Communications and Works responsible for the management and operation of the ports of the country. Maritime transport is served by a modern national port system composed of the multipurpose ports of Limassol and Larnaca, the new industrial port of Vassiliko, and the three specialized oil terminals at Larnaca, Dhekelia and Moni. The main ports of Cyprus are Limassol and Larnaca, and they are handling over 3.5 million tonnes of international seaborne cargo per year, and are both situated on the south coast of the island.(see Figure 6 of the Report) There have been about 280 thousand passengers served at the Cypriot ports in Famagusta, the third port of Cyprus, is situated on the eastern coast of the island, but it is not accessible because it is not located in the government controlled part of Cyprus. The Limassol Port is situated on the outskirts of the country's second main city in terms of population and economic significance. It is the largest port in Cyprus, serving most of the island's seaborne cargo and passenger traffic. It handles two thirds of the total container traffic locally generated and transhipment as well as the entire volume of grain imports. Similarly, over 90% of the country's passenger traffic is presently served by this port. The Larnaca Port is a part of the infrastructure of an industrial business and tourist centre of the island and it is the nearest seaport both to Nicosia, the country's capital and to south eastern major agricultural and tourist areas of Cyprus Transhipment traffic at the ports of Cyprus has been increasing steadily from the 1970 s, however, following the implementation of embargo in 1986 by Turkey the transhipment traffic at the ports of Cyprus has fallen dramatically. The Government of Cyprus is currently continuing efforts for the lifting of embargo. Cyprus fulfils the role of a hub for a number of key trading areas of world significance and it is a natural transhipment centre for Europe-Far East trade. Equally, Cyprus is a 8

9 logical hub for other main-line deep sea trades traversing the Mediterranean and for interregional maritime traffic. In 2004, the total passenger arrivals and departures from Cypriot ports were approximately , down 52.2% from the year However, comparing Cyprus with other cruise centres in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus continues to play a primary role in sea-borne tourism in the Region. The Limassol Port is currently being redeveloped and the first phase of its development plan is due to be completed by The Government of Cyprus is considering the expansion and redevelopment of the Larnaca Port and Marina as a single project to be financed by a BOT method. The expression of interest stage has already been completed and the government is now proceeding with the finalization of tender documents. 1.5 Intermodality Road transport is the only way of transporting goods and passengers within Cyprus. Air transport plays the largest role in the transport of passengers to and from other countries. Shipping plays a fundamental role in the distribution of goods to and from Cyprus but also worldwide. The modal split for passenger transport in Cyprus is 98% car and 2% bus compared to 82,5% and 9,5% respectively in EU-25, which has another 6,8% for rail (Stat. pocketbook DG TREN 2004). For freight transport the modal split is 100% by road as there is no rail or inland waterway. This high reliance on car transport has resulted in the deterioration of the bus services provided, as well as the lack of significant investment in infrastructure. In addition, the bus fleet is on average very old and is in need of renewal. There is therefore a need to improve/review the public transport strategy so that a true alternative to car-only travel is provided. In Cyprus, intermodal passenger and freight transport occurs only when passengers and freight arrive by air or by sea and are transported to their destinations by road transport, or when tourist arrive by air transport and take short turnaround cruises from Cyprus to nearby destinations (Egypt, Greece etc). 1.6 Environmental Pressures and Risks The main environmental problems attributed to transport in Cyprus exist in urban areas and are caused by road traffic (mainly private car movements). The lack of public transport and the inadequate road infrastructure coupled with continuously growing traffic demand has caused serious pollution problems mainly in central business districts, due to car emissions. The main urban networks cannot handle efficiently the traffic flows and this creates a lot of through traffic in sensitive residential areas affecting the quality of life in these areas. The only way forward is the promotion of public transport and other 9

10 environment friendly means of transport like electric/hybrid cars, cycling and walking. The Government has already set the goal of increasing public transport from 2% to 10% by the year In 2001, Cyprus published a comprehensive Environmental Law, which was drafted according to EU policies and directives. This Law has been revised and updated and published again in 2005 According to this law, major projects require environmental impact assessment studies in full compliance with the relevant EU Directive. Cyprus has also signed various environmental international conventions (Rio, Kyoto, etc.) for the protection of habitats, fauna and flora, and for the protection of the air quality. 10

11 2 The Island of Cyprus 2.1 Introduction Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia, but the largest island state with an area of sq. miles (9.251 sq.kms). It is located at the north eastern corner of the Mediterranean and commands a "cross-roads" position, linking the east with the west, Europe with Africa and the Middle East. Turkey's military invasion in 1974 had devastating effects on the island's physical structure and socio-economic sectors. It disrupted the settlement and communications systems that developed in Cyprus through the centuries and has enforced duplication of major infrastructure such as airports, ports, power plants, roads etc. with adverse effects on the environment. The dividing line of the island and the occupied part are shown in Figure 1. Occupied Area Area Under Effective Government Control Figure 1: Map of Cyprus On the 1st of May 2004, Cyprus together with another 9 candidate countries joined the European Union. This is expected to have considerable benefits for Cyprus in the social, political and economic areas. As a current member of the European Union, Cyprus has adopted and enforced all the European directives and regulations (through incorporation and transposition into the national legislation) for road, sea and air transport (i.e. the Community acquis ). This Report and the statistical data and indicators included refer to the Government controlled part of the country. 11

12 2.2 Economic Data Despite the 1974 tragic events, the economy of Cyprus flourished and today it is considered as one of the strongest economies in Europe. During the period the Cyprus economy recorded real GDP growth of 3.4%, which compares favourably with the EU average. This was accomplished in an environment of full employment conditions, low inflation and a stable and strong currency. In 2004 Cyprus per capita GDP reached about 81% of the EU-25 average. The Cyprus economy recorded real GDP growth of the order of 4.1% in the period , compared with an average growth rate of 2.9% in the accession countries and 2.1% in the Euro area. The economy grew a healthy 3.7% per year in 2004 and 2005, well above the EU average. The real GDP growth rate in 2005 was 3.8%. Furthermore, according to the 2002 annual report of the European Central Bank, Cyprus s GDP per capita has reached 71% of the corresponding Euro area average, while average GDP per capita in the accession countries is 44% of the Euro area average. Economic Indicators for the Government controlled part of Cyprus can be seen in Tables 1 & 2. Year GDP at current market prices Gross Domestic Product at constant 1995 prices (C mn) Gross Domestic Product at current market prices for Transport, Storage and Communication (C mn) Gross Domestic Product at constant market prices of 1995, for Transport, Storage and Communication (C mn) Per capita G.N.P. at current market prices (C ) Per capita GDP at current market prices (C ) , ,2 315,8 315, , ,9 334,3 330, , ,0 357,7 349, , ,8 397,7 380, , ,7 444,3 418, , ,3 492,6 479, , ,6 538,1 512, , ,3 524,8 527, , ,9 527,7 529, * 7.254, ,1 573,6 587, * 7.739, ,9 605,6 628, Sources: The Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus and (2) The Central Bank of Cyprus. (* Provisional) Table 1: Economic Data 12

13 GDP in the Primary Sector (mn) % GDP in the Primary Sector GDP in the Secondary Sector (mn) % GDP in the Primary Sector GDP in the Tertiary Sector (mn) % GDP in the Primary Sector GDP in the Transport, storage and communication Sectors (mn) % GDP in the Transport, Storage and Communication Sectors ,7 200,4 189, ,7 215,8 238,8 248,2 243,5 238,5 246,5 5,39 4,91 4,36 4,54 4,33 3,94 4,07 4,08 3,78 3,48 3,38 882,4 913,8 936,4 975,3 1002,1 1050, ,6 1268,1 1368,9 1455,8 22,57 22,39 21,59 20,79 19,83 19,19 18,99 19,47 19,69 19,95 19, ,1 2967,9 3211,4 3503, ,3 4517,7 4656,4 4928,8 5255,1 5599,5 72,04 72,71 74,05 74,67 75,84 76,86 76,94 76,46 76,53 76,58 76,69 315,8 334,3 357,7 397,7 444,3 492,6 538,1 524,8 527,7 573,6 605,6 8,08 8,19 8,25 8,48 8,79 9,00 9,16 8,62 8,19 8,36 8,29 Total GDP (mn) 3909,2 4082,1 4336,9 4691,4 5053,8 5471,3 5871,5 6090,2 6440,4 6862,5 7301,8 Source: The Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus Table 2: GDP composition by Sector Transport, which is vital to both the economic and social well being of a country, experienced a parallel and related growth over the last 25 years. Transport in Cyprus constitutes an infrastructural sector covering a wide spectrum of different activities such as road, air and sea transport and services allied to transport, mainly provided by travel agencies and shipping offices. The contribution of the transport storage and communications sector to GDP in Cyprus fluctuates at around 8.3% and plays a significant role in the development effort, particularly in tourism and the export of goods and other services. The transport and communications sector is registered in 2004 an increase of 9.9% on the gross output (compared to an increase of 1,8% in 2003), at current prices and amounted to 954,0mn in The value added of the sector increased to 572,3 mn and its share of G.D.P. was 8,4% at current market prices. The major sub-sectors were communications with a share of 39,1% of value added, supporting and auxiliary transport activities 28,1%, air transport with 9,4%, water transport with 15,5% and land transport with 7,9%. 2.3 Population Data The population of Cyprus at the end of 2004 is estimated at persons for the Government controlled area of Cyprus and for the whole of the island. Since 1974, approximately 37% of the country's territory is occupied by Turkish troops following the invasion of the island by Turkey. It should be noted that the data contained in this paper refer to the Government controlled area of Cyprus and excludes the part occupied by Turkish forces since

14 The total population of the country grew at an annual rate of 0.8% from 573,6 thousand at the end of 1960 on the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, to 640,7 thousand in mid-1974 just before the Turkish invasion. After the Turkish invasion of 1974 the population in the Government controlled area, experienced negative growth up to mid 1977, due to war losses, emigration and fertility decline. In the following years, demographic developments favoured population growth and the population exceeded, in less than ten years by mid 1982, the figure of mid1974. The population has continued to grow since then at a rate which ranges between 0.7% and 2.7%. In the occupied area the Turkish Cypriot community has been decreasing due to emigration - it is estimated that more than Turkish Cypriots have emigrated since 1974 while at the same time there continues a massive arrival of settlers. The number of the latter is estimated to about in The population of the Government controlled area is estimated at at the end of 2004 compared to at the end of 1974, recording an increase of 48,2%. The population of Cyprus for the years can be seen in Table 3. Year (end) Total Population 710,0 746,9 755,5 763,4 771,1 778,5 785,3 793,1 802,5 818,2 837,3 - (1000 s) Total Population In the Government 615,0 656,3 666,3 675,2 682,9 690,5 697,5 705,5 715,1 730,4 749,2 766,4 Controlled Area (1000 s) Urban Areas (1000 s) 416,1 446,9 454,7 461,8 468,1 474,3 480,2 486,7 494,3 505,9 520,0 - Rural Areas (1000 s) 198,9 209,4 211,6 213,4 214,8 216,2 217,4 218,8 220,8 224,5 229,2 - Males (1000 s) 306,4 324,8 329,2 333,0 336,3 339,7 342,7 346,2 350,6 359,3 369,2 377,8 Females (1000 s) 308,6 331,5 337,1 342,2 346,6 350,8 354,8 359,3 364,5 371,1 380,0 388,6 Source: The Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus Table 3: Population Data for Cyprus. The population growth rate, which is the highest in the European Union (2.6% in the Government controlled area in 2004), is explained by a small natural increase and a large net migration balance. The net migration balance has been positive and sizeable for the last 25 years. It consists of returning Cypriot migrants and an increasing number of foreigners coming for temporary employment for more than one year. The influx of foreigners resulted in the increase of their share to the population in the Government controlled area from 4.2% in 1992 to 13.1% in Employment Employment showed a small increase in 2004 reaching persons, compared to 316,000 in 2003 and 308,600 in Employment in the broad Transport, Storage and 14

15 Communications sector decreased by 1.3% to persons in 2003 but increased by 0.9% in 2004 and accounted for 6.8% of the total gainfully employed population. Employment statistics for Cyprus by sex and by sector can be seen in Tables 4 & Gainfully employed population (1000 s) 253,4 284,4 285,5 286,2 290,1 295, ,6 311, ,5 Employed in the Transport, Storage and Communication - 17,9 18,4 19,1 19,7 20,4 21,4 22,2 21,9 21,6 21,9 Sector (1000 s) The Transport, Storage and Communications sector as a - 6,3 6,4 6,7 6,8 6,9 7,1 7,2 7,0 6,8 6,8 percentage of the gainfully employed population (%) Males (%) ,6 60,4 60,1 59,6 59,1 58,8 58,4 58,3 57,5 Females (%) ,4 39,6 39,9 40,4 40,9 41,2 41,6 41,7 42,5 Source: The Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus Table 4: Employment in Cyprus Total Primary Secondary Tertiary Primary Secondary Tertiary Year Gainfully Employed Thousands Percent (%) ,4 35,5 73,0 144,9 14,0 28,8 57, ,2 32,8 73,9 147,5 12,9 29,1 58, ,6 33,0 75,0 157,6 12,4 28,2 59, ,3 32,2 71,3 161,8 12,1 26,9 61, ,8 30,8 70,7 171,3 11,3 25,9 62, ,4 30,5 73,1 180,8 10,7 25,7 63, ,5 29,3 70,9 185,3 10,3 24,8 64, ,2 26,8 69,1 190,3 9,4 24,1 66, ,1 26,7 67,2 196,2 9,2 23,2 67, ,3 26,2 65,7 203,4 8,9 22,2 68, ,0 25,8 64,7 211,5 8,6 21,4 70, ,6 25,3 64,7 218,6 8,2 21,0 70, ,9 24,9 65,3 221,7 8,0 21,0 71, ,0 24,7 66,7 224,6 7,8 21,1 71, ,5 24,4 68,9 229,2 7,6 21,4 71,1 Source: The Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus Table 5: Employment by Sector 15

16 2.5 Unemployment The unemployed registered at the District Labour Offices rose by persons or 13.3% during 2003, reflecting the slowdown in economic activity. The number of unemployed persons was , which accounts for 3.5% of the economically active population, compared to 3.2% in 2002 and 3.3% in The unemployment rate for males increased from 2.3% in 2002 to 2.5% in 2003 and for females it rose from 4.3% in 2002 to 4.9% in The corresponding rates for 1998 were 2.9% for males and 4.1% for females. Unemployment Statistics for Cyprus can be seen in Tables 6 & * Registered Unemployed 8,3 5,1 7,9 9,4 10,4 10,4 11,4 10,9 9,5 10, ,7 (1000 s) Unemployment rate (%) 3,3 1,8 2,6 3,1 3,4 3,3 3,6 3,4 2,9 3,2 3,5 3,6 Males (%) 2,9 1,4 1,9 2,3 2,6 2,9 2,9 2,7 2,3 2,3 2,5 2,6 Females (%) 4,2 2,5 3,7 4,3 4,6 4,1 4,6 4,4 3,8 4,3 4,9 5,1 Source: The Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus Table 6: Registered Unemployed, Total and By Sex Year Primary Sector Secondary Sector Tertiary Sector Newcomers Total Unemployed Source: The Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus Table 7: Unemployed Persons by Sectors Level 16

17 3 The Institutional Framework for Transport Supply and Demand by Mode 3.1 Transport Organization Transport infrastructure, operations and maintenance are supervised by the Ministry of Communications and Works. The Minister authorises the Permanent Secretary to act on his account. Annual plans are proposed by Ministries and/or Departments in the scope of 5-year plans, including priorities. These proposals are discussed in the State Planning Bureau, which is directly under the Ministry of Finance. Final decisions are taken which are forwarded to the Council of Ministers, and then to Parliament, where after approval, they take the form of a Law. In the Ministry of Communications and Works, there are 11 Departments. Those related to transport are Civil Aviation, Merchant Marine, Road Transport, and Public Works (responsible for road and airport construction). The Ministry has also the responsibility for the Cyprus Port Authority and the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority. These independent Authorities with their own Board of Directors are owners of their respective infrastructures and manage revenues and expenses. Their profits are re-invested and in case of losses they are not subsidized by the government, instead they have to seek for loans or other ways to cover and manage losses. Their financial operations are controlled by the General Controller and their annual budget is submitted for approval to the Parliament. The organizational chart of the Ministry of Communications and Works is shown in Figure 2 below: 17

18 Figure 2: Organizational Chart for the Ministry of Communication and Works 3.2 Land Transport Cyprus has developed a road network which services the transportation needs of industry, agriculture, trade, tourism and the public. According to 2005 statistics, the road network in the free areas of Cyprus consists of about 12,146 km of roads. The Department of Public Works of the Ministry of Communications and Works has the responsibility for the design, construction, maintenance and improvement of motorways, the majority of rural and interurban road network and the main urban roads. It is responsible for about 35% of paved roads, which constitute the main road network of Cyprus. The remaining roads come under the jurisdiction of the Municipalities and the District Administrations. The Municipalities are responsible for the secondary and local urban roads while the District Administration Authorities are responsible for the paved and unpaved district (tertiary) roads and village roads. The length of road infrastructure in Cyprus for the years , for each road category is shown in Table 8 below: 18

19 Category of Roads 2003 (km) 2004 (km) 2005 (km) District Offices Municipalities Public Works Department Forestry Department Table 8: Road Infrastructure in Cyprus by Category The Department of Town Planning and Housing is responsible for the planning and geometric design and has the overall responsibility for the construction of the primary road network in urban areas. Public Transport in rural and urban areas comes under the jurisdiction of the Department of Road Transport of the Ministry of Communications and Works. This Department is responsible for the fares and the planning of the public transport routes in rural and urban areas. Public Transport in Cyprus involves buses only and is operated by the public sector but fares and routes are controlled by the public sector (The Department of Road Transport). A good road network for efficient forest management in general and especially for fire protection purposes, is maintained by the Forestry Department. These roads are planned in such a way to give quick access to almost all parts of the forest and to be easily accessible by all types of vehicles. All existing roads are maintained annually and improved wherever needed. Road transportation for passengers and freight falls under the responsibility of the Department of Road Transport of the Ministry of Communications and Works. Freight transport is carried out by private operators who are owner-driver up to 97% and who prefer to remain separate and not get organized in companies. Control is affected by the State. Own account transport is also licensed. Road transport laws and regulations have been harmonized with relevant acquis communautaire. Following harmonization with the EU Directive 26/76, the market is liberalized except for special trucks such as diary products, water tanks, and sewage collecting tanks. Passenger transport is done by privately owned buses, which are subsidised by the government for fare carrying passengers. Currently a new law was passed for differentiation of buses operating in urban and intercity routes The Public Works Department The Public Works Department of the Ministry of Communications and Works has the responsibility for the maintenance, improvement and construction of motorways, the majority of rural and interurban road network and the main urban roads. The Department has the following main activities within the field of Transport: 19

20 Designing and management of designs that are carried out by the private sector, supervision of construction and maintenance of road works, including motorways and other primary and secondary roads. Development, improvement, extension and maintenance works of Larnaca and Paphos airports Preparation of traffic studies in urban and rural regions in collaboration with other Government Departments, Local Authorities and Consulting Engineers. Design, construction and/or supervision of construction of road projects in industrial zones and social housing schemes. Examination and resolution of problems / demands of local communities or private individuals resulting from the implementation of road projects. The Department is also responsible for road improvement in Cyprus and estimates the medium annual circulation for each department of road network. The transport studies sub sector within the studies sector in the Public Works Department also carries out Technical and Economic Studies, Transport Studies and Environment Impact Studies for road related works The Department of Town Planning and Housing The Department of Town Planning and Housing has the responsibility for formulating the transport policy mainly in urban areas and for implementing the primary road network in urban areas. These two different tasks (policy formulation and implementation of road schemes) are carried out by the following two different sectors of the Department: Sector of Development Plans and Projects. This sector is divided into various subsectors one of which is the sub-sector for the transport policy. This sub-sector formulates integrated transport policies of land transport which are then incorporated in the Development Plans of the country which are legal documents regulating development. Sector of Development Control and Planning Implementation. This sector is divided into various sub-sectors one of which is the sub-sector for Town Planning Schemes concerning Road Schemes. This sub-sector is responsible for the design and implementation of road schemes which are usually primary roads within Development Plans The Department of Road Transport The Department of Road Transport was established in The Department s main responsibilities are separated into two broad sectors. The first sector includes the study of the problems in public transport, aiming at improving the services offered to the public. The second sector includes all those activities relating to vehicles, that is, their 20

21 registration, their inspection for registration and the issue and renewal of driving licenses and circulation fees District Administrations and Municipalities District Administrations are responsible for the maintenance of roads mainly in rural areas and Municipalities are responsible for road maintenance, marking etc within their administrative boundaries which are usually urban areas General Remarks The main conclusion from the above description and analysis of the institutional framework of land transport in Cyprus is the fragmentation of responsibilities between various authorities. This causes the need for making extra efforts for coordinating activities which do not always work and also causes duplication of work. In order to improve the institutional framework of land transport in the urban areas of Cyprus, new Transport Authorities will have to be established for dealing with the integrated policies and implementation of land transport in each main urban area for which there is a published local plan. 3.3 Air Transport The Department of Civil Aviation Air transport and aviation related matters are managed, controlled, and regulated by the Department of Civil Aviation, although the regulation of civil aviation is the responsibility of the Ministry of Communications. The Department of Civil Aviation reports to the Ministry and both are government owned, so that in effect the two functions are served by the same body. The Department of Civil Aviation is also responsible for the convergence of relevant legislation in Cyprus with that of EU. The Department of Civil Aviation is responsible for the provision and regulation of Air Traffic services in the Nicosia Flight Information Region and the control towers at Larnaca and Paphos airports, the development and operation of the country s airports and the development of air transport services with third countries. Safety and Security Regulation and the implementation of European Law on air transport are also among the main activities of the Department. With the accession of Cyprus to the European Union, the new Civil Aviation Law N.213 (I) 2002, which is fully harmonized with the acquis communautaire on air transport, entered into force. 3.4 Maritime Transport Seaborne traffic is served in Cyprus by a modern and highly integrated national port system composed of: the new multipurpose ports of Limassol and Larnaca the new industrial port of Vassiliko and 21

22 the three specialized oil terminals at Larnaca, Dhekelia and Moni All port facilities of the island are under the jurisdiction of the Cyprus Ports Authority and their activities and development are centrally planned, coordinated and supervised for efficiency and effectiveness The Cyprus Ports Authority The Cyprus Ports Authority (CPA) is a public autonomous organization under the supervision of the Minister of Communications and Works responsible for the management and operation of the ports of the country. It was set up in 1973 within the context of a World Bank port loan to Cyprus, which provided for the establishment of a national port authority, to replace previous port management arrangements which were based on conventional administrative concepts. The CPA is governed by a nine-member Board (Chairman, Vice-Chairman and seven members) appointed by the Council of Ministers for a three-year term. The Board applies the policies of the Government according to the Authority s legislation. These policies are conveyed and supervised by the Minister of Communication and Works. The Authority has a double role: (a) It exercises public power (b) It provides commercial and financial services In its public power role, the Authority is the owner of the ports and lighthouses as well as being the regulator of port services rendered. Within the framework of this role, the Authority: Plans, develops and manages port infrastructure. Provides licences for the use of port land, and the provision of services in the ports under its jurisdiction. Provides licences for the provision of port services and for the construction of works in port areas. Provides public/non financial activities. As well as the above role, the Authority provides commercial/financial/port services. The main ones are: Ship pilotage Ship towage and mooring Use of gantry cranes and large mobile cranes Reception, storage and delivery of cargo Within the jurisdiction of the Authority are the commercial ports of Lemesos (Limassol) and Larnaka, the old port of Lemesos (Limassol), the Paphos port, the Latchi and Zyghi 22

23 fishing harbours and the oil terminals at Vassiliko and Moni. Further, the lighthouses at Cape Greco, Cape Kiti, Cape Gata, Paphos and Akamas also come under its jurisdiction. The ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia the oil terminal at Karavostassi as well as the lighthouses at Kormakitis and Apostolos Andreas remain under Turkish occupation. The Authority is the competent entity to administer, operate and develop the ports, as well as to facilitate international shipping aids. Towage and pilotage operations in ports are carried out by the Cyprus Port Authority which is also responsible for the safety, security, and fire protection measures at ports. Since the establishment of the Cyprus Ports Authority, the port sector of Cyprus experienced a substantial increase in size, acquired specialised facilities for the handling of the various types of traffic and improved its services considerably. From being conventional handlers of the country s seaborne trade and passenger traffic exclusively, Cypriot ports became important cargo transhipment and cruise liner hubs. Within the framework of the Authority s efforts towards the rationalized development of Cypriot ports, it was decided to draw and implement a Master Plan to improve the port of Lemesos (Limassol). Phase A of a new multimillion port development programme to be fully implemented by the year 2010, has recently been completed in Limassol. The Authority has also sought its incorporation into the international port community as well as its active participation in international shipping issues. As such it is now a member of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), of the International Cargo Handling Association (ICHCA) and the International Lighthouses Authorities Association (IALA). As of 1993 the Authority has also become a member of the Mediterranean Cruise Association (MedCruise) as well as in the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) The Cyprus Shipping Association The Cyprus Shipping Association (CSA) was established in 1945, to provide a professional forum for the Shipping Agents of Cyprus. In 1954, following its registration under the provisions of the local Trade Unions Law, the Association became the official body representing the profession of the Shipping Agent in Cyprus. The main aims of the Cyprus Shipping Association are: The provision of high quality services by the Shipping Agent and his strict adherence to high ethical standards promoted by the Association. The protection of the professional rights of its members and the promotion of their common business interests. The prosperity and growth of Cyprus as a maritime centre and a transhipment hub. 23

24 The originating and promoting of improvements in the ports of Cyprus and in the laws affecting the profession as well as the shipping and port industry of the island, and The presentation, promotion and implementation of the views and opinions of the Shipping Agents of Cyprus The Cyprus Shipping Council The Cyprus Shipping Council is the trade association of the Shipping Industry in Cyprus. Having witnessed considerable growth since its establishment in 1989 the Council today comprises all the major ship owning, ship management and shipping related companies based in Cyprus, thus making it one of the largest national shipping associations in the world. The Members of the Council own and/or manage from Cyprus, 2000 vessels exceeding 38.8 million gross tons. Since its formation, the Council has become an influential body in local maritime affairs and has an input in all policy decisions concerning shipping matters. The Council's primary objective is to assist the Government at all levels to adapt existing laws, policies and procedures to the needs of the rapidly growing Cyprus fleet. 24

25 4 Analysis of Transport Infrastructure by Transport Mode 4.1 Road Network (Flows and Links and Categories of Roads) The road system in Cyprus has been developed over many years and in some areas the streets are narrow and winding. As the population of Cyprus has increased the towns have expanded and the roads have been developed in order to provide for the immediate needs of the local people. The majority of such roads are still therefore dealing with traffic volumes for which they were never intended. The Turkish invasion of 1974 radically changed the programme of road development and created new priorities in order to cover the augmented needs in the government controlled areas, where 80% of the Cyprus population and the greatest portion of development had concentrated. Under these circumstances New Road Development Schemes were promoted, which were partially financed by foreign Financing Organizations. Under these development projects new 4 lane highways were constructed as follows: Nicosia- Limassol, Nicosia-Larnaka, Larnaka-Kofinou, Nicosia-Anthoupolis-Kokkinotrimithia, Larnaka By-Pass, Limassol-Paphos and Dekeleia-Protaras. Design standards published by the Public Works Department of the Ministry of Communication and Works, define the categories of urban, inter-urban and rural roads in Cyprus within two publications, one for urban roads and on for inter-urban and rural roads. The urban road hierarchy which is also published in the Local Plans which form development plans for the urban areas of Cyprus, is the following: Urban motorways: These roads cater for the national traffic movement to and from the urban areas. They form extensions of the national highways into urban areas. They are usually roads with 4-6 traffic lanes separated by a hard median strip, grade separated junctions and with no or very limited access. Primary Distributors: These roads form the principal road network in the urban areas and join up with the island s strategic highway system. They are usually dual two lane roads with a central reserve, bus stops and footways. They usually have at-grade junctions and limited or controlled access. Of course the standards concerning the frontage access on these roads are more relaxed in central urban areas. These roads the boundaries of the urban environmental areas (the city cells) and cater for the major movements between different parts of the city. The primary road network of the Nicosia Local Plan is shown in Figure 7. The roads shown on this figure include the urban motorways and the primary roads of the city. Secondary Distributors: The main function of these roads is to serve the main traffic within the environmental areas. The standard requirement of secondary distributors, vary in accordance with the traffic volumes and areas they serve. 25

26 They are usually two lane roads with direct frontage access and with footways, bus stops, parking bays if necessary, and extra right turning lanes. Local Distributors and Access Roads: They are usually very local roads within environmental areas linking the secondary distributors with individual residential, commercial and other developments. The Road Category/Hierarchy for inter-urban and rural roads in Cyprus is the following: o Motorways o Main roads, Class A o District Distributors Class B o Local Distributors Class C o Access Class D A diagrammatic representation of the inter-urban and rural road hierarchy is shown in Figure 3 and the basic properties of the different classes of roads in Table 9. The total length of roads and highways in Cyprus are presented in Table 10 and Figures 4 and 5. A map of Cyprus (published by the Public Works Department) showing the major road network of the island can be seen in Figure 6. A figure from the Nicosia local plan showing the major road network in an urban area can be seen in Figure 7. 26

27 Figure 3: Diagrammatic representation of the road hierarchy. Source Geometric Design Standards, Ministry of Communications and Works, Public Works Department 27

28 Motorways Class A Class B Class C Class D Main Highway Function Type of Road Type of Intersections and Minimum Spacing between in (Km) Form of Traffic Carried Length of Journeys and Probable Emphasis Parking Design speed on which geometric properties are based Volume of traffic in AADT (1) Accesses for private vehicles Freely moving traffic flows between regions Dual carriageway Grade separated Desirable spacing greater than 5km. Minimum 4km. Vehicles. Pedestrians cyclists and equestrians prohibited Mainly long distance traffic Business and goods. Stopping prohibited Reasonably moving traffic flows between main centres Dual or single carriageway Preferably grade - separated. At grade (high capacity) junctions not excluded. 3.5 km for dual c/w with g/s and 0.5 km for single c/w and at - grade junctions. Vehicles and cyclists. Pedestrians and cyclists use separate facilities As for the Motorways some shorter trips. Very limited and frequently prohibited. 120 kph In range 120 to 85 kph D3M up to 67,000. D2M up to 41,000. D3AP up to 54,000 D2AP up to 39,000 S2 up to 13,000 Distributes traffic flows across districts and to Class A. Single carriageway At - grade types of junction. Desirable spacing 300 m All vehicles. Pedestrians use separate facilities. HGV s limited to through trips Medium distance trips predominate. Tourism in scenic areas Limited and sometimes restricted. In range of 100 to 50 kph 10,000 to 5,000 None None Limited to isolated properties Distributes trips over a local area and to Class B Single carriageway As for Class B. But the desirable spacing is reduced to 100 m As for Class B with additional pedestrian activity. Mainly local trips. Shopping, school, to/from work etc. Considerable if off road parking is not provided In range 85 to 30 kph Some 5,000 to 1,000 Access to individual properties low speeds. Single carriageway Priority junctions. No limit on spacing. No clear preferences Only service deliveries for HGV s Local trips to access property Usually short term as space restricted Usually less than 50 kph 1,000 to 100. Frequent Table 9: Basic properties of Different Classes of Roads 28

29 1990 (km) 2001 (km) 2002 (km) 2003* (km) 2004* (km) 2005* (km) Total length of roads Highways Other roads Sources: Annual Bulletin for Transport Statistics (2005) European Commission for Europe, *Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus Table 10: Total Length of Roads in Cyprus` 280 Length of Highways Kilometres Year Figure 4: Length of Highways in Cyprus Total Length of Roads Kilometres Year Figure 5: Total Length of Roads

30 District Borders Larnaca Port Larnaca Airport Paphos Airport Limassol Port Vasiliko Port Figure 6: Map of Cyprus showing Major Road Network, Airports and Ports 30

31 Figure 7: Nicosia Major Road Network taken from Nicosia Local Plan 31