130 ‘sleeping policemen’ to disappear, some already removed
Works to remove a total of 130 speed bumps and raised crossings are underway, with some being left for 2025 and others further down the line as part of reconstruction works.
Senior public works engineer Charalambos Kais told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that speed bumps have been on the agenda of 14 meetings since April 2023, with the transport ministry still evaluating measures implemented across the road network.
Kais said that since mid-2023, municipalities and district offices have been asked to submit suggestions.
Furthermore, all bumps will be inspected to determine which ones do not meet the specifications.
In September 2023, a meeting of the technical committee for traffic problems was held, during which the views of the health ministry and ambulance service were taken down as an additional factor to be taken into account regarding speed bumps.
A month later, in October 2023, a gathering was held to promote a new model of speed bumps and raised crossings.
The technical committee will be meeting again on September 10, 2024.
Kais outlined various problems regarding the removal of speed bumps.
He said the main problem was the time it took to implement decisions and the fact that many speed bumps would be removed in the framework of roadworks and reconstruction, which again took time.
Kais added that many municipalities had not submitted applications for the removal of speed bumps, despite constant actions on behalf of public works in that direction.
Over the years, citizens have been divided, some calling for more speed bumps to increase safety by forcing drivers to slow down and others saying bumps were responsible for their vehicles needing repairs.
Indeed, many bumps do not meet the standards, as they were built by local authorities without meeting the specifications set out by the public works department and should thus either be remade or removed.
According to the criteria approved by the cabinet, speed bumps should be placed where the speed limit is a maximum of 50km/hour, frequent speed violations have been recorded, there are nearby schools, churches and parks and a significant number of pedestrians cross the road, especially children and the elderly.
Furthermore, road humps can be approved in areas where traffic poses risks and is noisy and there is a statistically high number of serious road accidents.
A road hump or raised crossing must also meet certain specifications, regarding height, gradient, shape and markings.
When a road hump is properly made, it does not cause damage to vehicles, the public works department has said.
However, they may be a burden to people with back and neck problems.
Studies have also indicated a higher level of pollution around road humps, as cars slow down and accelerate again.
The installation of cameras may make road humps obsolete.