ETEK calls for the “Nestor” plan to be tested in drills after Nicosia–Larnaca motorway crash

The Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK) has called for the effectiveness of the new “Nestor” response plan for road incidents to be tested through a series of drills based on different scenarios. ETEK President Konstantinos Konstantis made the statement a day after the plan was first put into practice, following a serious crash on the Nicosia–Larnaca motorway.

The crash occurred on Thursday, 27 August, at around 16:15. A lorry carrying gravel and towing a second semi-trailer collided with a passenger car and overturned. Gravel spilled across the carriageway, and traffic on the motorway was restored after approximately four hours.

The operation was coordinated by the police; private crews were brought in to clear the gravel, private cranes were used to remove the vehicles from the road, and traffic was diverted. The Ministry of Justice said the operation was completed safely and without serious inconvenience for drivers.

The “Nestor” plan was developed after a previous major incident that left the motorway closed for around seven hours. Justice Minister Kostas Fitiris had previously said that the plan could not be tested for the first time during a real crisis: it first needed to be put through drills to identify and address its weak points. According to him, “Nestor” would be assessed not by how it looks on paper, but by how quickly the state responds to the next serious incident.

Konstantis believes the plan cannot be assessed solely on the basis of Thursday’s crash. “Drills need to be conducted under many different scenarios so that we know how we respond and who is responsible for what in each case,” he told the Cyprus News Agency, adding that a comprehensive risk-assessment system is also needed. He also proposed keeping recovery cranes on permanent standby.

According to the head of ETEK, lengthy motorway closures disrupt people’s daily lives and can affect access to airports and ports. He called on the authorities to publicly report what exactly worked under the “Nestor” plan on Thursday and what shortcomings were identified.