Transport Minister: Bet for development
19/10/2009 13:46
Transport Minister, Nicos Nicolaides committed to adopt fully the development part of the Ministry’s budget, analyzing before the House Finance Committee the projects that will be promoted in 2010. The Ministry’s efforts focus on the minimization of the traffic problems in the urban areas with better roads and the improvement of the public transportation.
The main tool in the Ministry’s efforts is the €400 thousand that are included in the new budget, €120 million of which concern development expenditure. Despite the fiscal problems, the development expenditure showed an increase of 6.9% but their use is not certain since the degree of execution of the development projects is expected to fall to 70% this year.
The Ministry’s regular expenditure dropped to €280 million.
The Transport Minister stressed that the traffic problem will be solved with the improvement of the public transportation. On October 26, the government will launch negotiations with the bus owner companies and on December 3 the contracts will be signed. The new itineraries in the cities and the “park and drive” system will be launched in May or June 2010. The bus ticket will be cheap and will stand at 80 cents.
Mr. Nicolaides noted that the plan for the withdrawal of old cars will be brought back when the plan for 2008 is finalized with the additional expenditure of €2 million.
The Minister also said that the negotiations with CyBC for the first digital TV platform continue, while a tender for the second platform will be invited soon.
According to the Minister, the fate of LEFCO system, the system for the air traffic control, will be determined soon. The system should have been delivered in 2003 but due to technical problems it never was. The new evaluation will start in November, while if it fails the contract will be cancelled and new solutions will be searched.
He also referred to the promotion of the junction off GSP and the widening of the highway between GSP and Alampra to six lanes. The negotiations for the Polis-Paphos highway and the construction of the junction for the connection of Stavros and Academias Avenue continue.
Chairman of the House Finance Committee, Nicolas Papadopoulos welcomed the scheduled road works for 2010, stressing that they will contribute to the solution of the traffic problems. Mr. Papadopoulos expressed his discontent for the fact that Cyprus has the most expensive broadband connections in Europe.
DISY MP, Maria Kyriakou expressed her disappointment for the lack of plans against the traffic problems. “Unfortunately, we hear the same things all the time, while the traffic chaos costs too much to the state. The electronic communications and the coverage of the mobile phones is problematic, while many problems are seen in the sector of merchant marine and post offices”, she stressed.
Ecologists MP, Giorgos Perdikis recommended the restriction of the plan for the withdrawal of old cars to the replacement of old cars with new ecological ones. “When economy recovers, a completed plan must be submitted”, he concluded.
The main tool in the Ministry’s efforts is the €400 thousand that are included in the new budget, €120 million of which concern development expenditure. Despite the fiscal problems, the development expenditure showed an increase of 6.9% but their use is not certain since the degree of execution of the development projects is expected to fall to 70% this year.
The Ministry’s regular expenditure dropped to €280 million.
The Transport Minister stressed that the traffic problem will be solved with the improvement of the public transportation. On October 26, the government will launch negotiations with the bus owner companies and on December 3 the contracts will be signed. The new itineraries in the cities and the “park and drive” system will be launched in May or June 2010. The bus ticket will be cheap and will stand at 80 cents.
Mr. Nicolaides noted that the plan for the withdrawal of old cars will be brought back when the plan for 2008 is finalized with the additional expenditure of €2 million.
The Minister also said that the negotiations with CyBC for the first digital TV platform continue, while a tender for the second platform will be invited soon.
According to the Minister, the fate of LEFCO system, the system for the air traffic control, will be determined soon. The system should have been delivered in 2003 but due to technical problems it never was. The new evaluation will start in November, while if it fails the contract will be cancelled and new solutions will be searched.
He also referred to the promotion of the junction off GSP and the widening of the highway between GSP and Alampra to six lanes. The negotiations for the Polis-Paphos highway and the construction of the junction for the connection of Stavros and Academias Avenue continue.
Chairman of the House Finance Committee, Nicolas Papadopoulos welcomed the scheduled road works for 2010, stressing that they will contribute to the solution of the traffic problems. Mr. Papadopoulos expressed his discontent for the fact that Cyprus has the most expensive broadband connections in Europe.
DISY MP, Maria Kyriakou expressed her disappointment for the lack of plans against the traffic problems. “Unfortunately, we hear the same things all the time, while the traffic chaos costs too much to the state. The electronic communications and the coverage of the mobile phones is problematic, while many problems are seen in the sector of merchant marine and post offices”, she stressed.
Ecologists MP, Giorgos Perdikis recommended the restriction of the plan for the withdrawal of old cars to the replacement of old cars with new ecological ones. “When economy recovers, a completed plan must be submitted”, he concluded.
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