Greetings to everyone! I introduce myself, my name is Andrea, I’m 26 and I am doing my ESC program at “Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus. I personally have never been to Cyprus before, and a couple of things have captured my attention. One of them is the traffic on the island. Cyprus, is the third biggest island of the Mediterranean, is in a strategic spot between 3 continents: Asia, Europe and Africa. It hosts 1.358.280 people and the capital city is Nicosia. According to the world population review, the estimated population of the Nicosia district is 200,452. Writing about the history of Cyprus, Derya Oktay says that the Island has been noted for its highly developed urban life. About two-thirds of the people of the island live in towns and cities. Most of the island’s large cities, except the capital of Nicosia, developed as trading ports along the seacoast. The Island has a system of roads that connect the cities and towns; unfortunately, however, the roads, streets and sidewalks present a couple of issues, such as crowded roads, which are not new for the Cypriots. Every morning, they face traffics jams as a big amount of people work in the capital city, for example. Nicosia has always had a concentration of restaurants and activities in the city center that don’t allow a fluid traffic movement. Also, the division of the capital and the separate management of the two sides of the city has not favored a solution. In addition, the excessive tourism the island suffers from affects the traffic: the number of tourists who come to enjoy their holidays reached 554.923 only in august 2024 according to the statistical services and the press and information office of Cyprus.
Another reason for the crowded streets might be Cypriots’ overuse and over possession of cars. In 2005 there were more than 500,000 registered vehicles in Cyprus, a figure that was approaching the island’s total population. This surge occurred because of Cyprus’s rapid economic development and the increasing concentration of people in urban areas. Additionally, many people shifted away from using buses, opting instead for private cars as their primary mode of daily transportation. As a result, Cypriot cities now face significant traffic congestion, particularly on major roads and at signalized intersections. According to a survey conducted by the newspaper Politis in 2006, the average resident of Nicosia spends approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes driving each day, often for relatively short distances. Furthermore, 76% of survey respondents reported never having used a bus. On a positive note, 57% indicated they would consider using public transport if the quality of service improved. Despite the efforts of the relevant ministry to build more roads to accommodate growing demand, traffic congestion has continued to worsen. The main reason for this is the increasing use of private cars for everyday travel. Over the past three decades, there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of registered vehicles. The number of vehicles has grown from 100,000 in 1980 to over 500,000 by 2004, an increase of more than 500% in just 20 years. Also, more recent research has shown the overreliance of vehicles, in particular fossil-fuel ones. The lack of adequate infrastructure, particularly in many medium-sized cities, exacerbates the problem. In Cypriot cities, for example, the public transportation system suffers from irregular and unreliable schedules, with limited coverage, which drives residents to rely heavily on personal vehicles. This dependence on motorized vehicles has placed Cyprus among the top four European countries in car ownership, with 658 cars per 1,000 residents in 2022. This trend presents significant challenges, including deteriorating public health, increased pollution, worsening climate change, and threats to wildlife. The main danger could be for the infants and children that could contract wheezing or other breathing problems caused by the exposure to motor vehicles emissions.
Excluding the reasons linked to the lack of public transportation, what could be the reasons that negatively afflict pedestrian mobility? The Key incentive to encourage citizens to walk is shown to be the urban design elements like land use, accessibility, and activity variety. Consequently, they will help to lower the pollution level and improve the health state of the citizens, given that walking has got beneficial effects for the human body. Personally, I believe that, excluding all the motivations explained before about urban infrastructure, there are also other factors that affect walking negatively. One of these might be the weather. In Cyprus the temperature is warm almost all year, and the sun hits hard. If you are going on a date, or to a formal interview or work, these conditions don’t incentivize a person to walk because he or she will sweat. Being accustomed to walking can also be a factor, and it may have been affected by the size of the island. The distances in Cyprus are relatively short, and the concept of the “far place” is thirty minutes by foot from your location. Another one could be safety. As reported by the news site In-Cyprus, in the first 8 months of 2024, there have been 27 fatal incidents, and 7 of these involved a pedestrian. The most fatal accidents took place in: Nicosia (8), Larnaca (7), Limassol (5), Famagusta (2) and one in the Paphos and Morphou districts.
The economic viability of a Smart Pedestrian app is a key factor in its development, especially in a market where free services like Google Maps, MapMyWalk, and Streetwise dominate. To stand out and justify potential costs to users, many Smart Pedestrian apps use a freemium business model with personalized route planning, advanced safety alerts, and public transport integration, and try to create innovative features with local shops and services in general. Technology modifies pedestrian behaviors, and this is important to consider. For any app focused on walkability, providing accurate and relevant mobility information is crucial. For developing this app some factors should be considered such as Safety, Navigation, Convenience, Social Interaction, Connectivity, and Data Collection. These considerations are critical for defining the requirements necessary to develop a successful Smart Pedestrian app, addressing challenges faced by individuals (as health), the environment (as climate change and pollution), society, and the economy.
It should be a very helpful app, especially since walking in Cyprus can sometimes be challenging. I believe apps like this could improve the walkability not only of cities but also of the entire island. If they develop an app that helps you find routes to natural sites across the island, as well as other towns and cities, it could inspire a new, more sustainable way of exploring.