Barriers removed from Limassol bike lane after residents’ protests

Municipal authorities in Limassol removed the protective plastic bollards separating the roadway and a new bicycle lane on one of the city’s busiest streets. The decision to dismantle them was made after mass protests by local residents and business owners.
Residents complained that the number of parking spaces had sharply decreased because of the dividing structures, and that traffic jams had started to occur regularly on the road. Business owners said revenues had fallen because customers could no longer park near the shops. The authorities reached a compromise and removed the bollards, but cycling activists have already criticized the move, saying that cyclists’ safety was once again sacrificed for motorists’ convenience.