Nicosia municipality is taking flak from all sides over its recent decision to partly reopen Makarios avenue to normal traffic, with media reports on Tuesday suggesting that it could also face a lawsuit from a bus company.

Earlier this month municipal councilors had voted for the central Nicosia street to reopen for traffic. Makarios avenue is to reopen to all private vehicles on weekdays between 7am and 9pm.

Meanwhile between 9pm and 7am on weekdays and on weekends, the avenue will be used only by authorised vehicles – buses, taxis, residents and employees of the area, as it had been until now.

The new traffic arrangements will apply from the Lycavitos police station up to and including Solomou square.

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The European Commission had co-funded the restoration of Makarios avenue on condition that it restricted traffic. The cash had come from the Cohesion Fund, part of a programme promoting ‘sustainable urban mobility’.

So far the municipality has stood firm over its move, saying it was done to breathe life back into the city centre.

But in a sign that the municipality is feeling the heat, it has yet to formally request the police chief to approve the decision.

The police chief must sign off on any new traffic arrangements.

Meanwhile environmental organisations plan a protest in central Nicosia this coming Thursday, under the slogan ‘A Lively Makarios Avenue for People, Not for Cars’.

At the same time, the transport ministry as well as the Scientific and Technical Chamber (Etek) have urged the municipality to rethink its decision.

Adding to the pressure, an affected bus company has now threatened legal action against the municipality should the latter go ahead with reopening Makarios avenue.

According to daily Politis, the company – Cyprus Public Transport – has addressed a letter to the municipality.

“In the event that the decision is implemented to bring back private vehicles to Makarios avenue, the company reserves its full legal rights to take recourse with the courts,” it said.

The outfit said the reopening of the avenue to normal traffic would severely impact its operation of a bus route known as ‘Pame Express’ – a park-and-ride from the GSP stadium to the city centre.

The company cited the consequent delays caused to buses on that route, estimating these at 15,000 hours a year. It said an additional 35,000 private vehicles daily would jam the streets in the area.

“The traffic model which is being attempted to be reinstated at Makarios avenue is a failed one,” asserted Cyprus Public Transport. “It is not based on data, it solves no problem and only leads to more impasses.”