A local Paphos businessman who is helping to feed those in need through ‘Chalkies Kitchen,’ has called on the government and local authorities to foster an environment of philanthropy and put measures in place to ensure people stop ’falling through the cracks.’

“No-one here really cares, the authorities don’t want to help people have a decent life, too many people are falling through the cracks. So many people are existing below the poverty line and if you just scratch the surface, the situation in Cyprus is horrible and disgusting,” Tony Theo of Chalkies Kitchen told the Cyprus Mail.

Theo has just helped seven individuals who were homeless to get off the Paphos streets. It is all too easy for people to ‘slip the net’ as there is no system to protect anyone in dire straits in Cyprus, he said.

“We have families who go days without eating. Children starving, babies without nappies and people living on the beach. This needs to be addressed urgently by the government, as the situation is only going to get worse,” he warned.

The seven individuals that were sleeping rough on the streets of Paphos are all are now either in new accommodation or have been repatriated to the UK.

“This shouldn’t be our role or responsibility and we wish the municipalities and the government would take their responsibilities on board, but until that happens we and other groups like us have to do our best to help,” he said.

One case involves a British woman that has lived in Cyprus for the last 16 years. After the death of her husband, life took a toll and she has been living on the streets for the last three years, Theo said.

“She was once a happy person, an educated and lovely lady, but her life spiralled out of control. We were able to help her,” he said.

The volunteers found her B&B accommodation which lasted 26 days, and she is now living in a studio flat of her own which the initiative is paying for.

“We have paid up until the end of March and contacted welfare to see if they can help her. Her entire life is here in Cyprus and this is her home as she has been here for so long,” he said.

As she hasn’t made social insurance payments, she is unable to obtain the necessary paperwork and also cannot find employment, he explained.

“We hope the authorities will help he get her life back on track,” he said. “But this situation is just one of many. It’s horrifying how many stories there are like this,” he said.

Theo is the owner of Chalkies Bar in Coral Bay in Peyia which is closed again due Covid restrictions. Along with a group of volunteers, he has been helping hundreds of families in the Paphos district since the pandemic swept Cyprus and resulted in a first lockdown, which saw many people lose their jobs in March 2020.

As of last Sunday, they had served and delivered in excess of 15,000 free, hot meals to those who needed it, and all from their own pockets and donations.

Theo’s bar has been closed since March 2020, and he has not received any financial support from the government. However, he decided to use his time to help others.

“I’ve had nothing from the government, and no income, and my turnover is down by around half a million,” he said.

Along with a core team of eight daily volunteers, the wider community have provided invaluable support to ‘Chalkies kitchen.’

“We couldn’t do this without them. The local community stepped forward as well as a number of businesses, including a Paphos butcher’s who gives us meat at cost price and a farm food company in Coral Bay that give us good prices and also free items as well. We would struggle without it.”

Each day the kitchen prepares a hot meal, such as, stews, pastas and so on, and delivers to 150 individuals on their list, of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds living around Paphos.

In the previous lockdown, the volunteers were delivering 400 meals a day at one point but have had to ‘better manage the number’, Theo said.

“We are feeding people from all walks of life. Romanian, Bulgarian, Cypriot, British, African, old, young, all sorts of people. The majority were working in the hotel and hospitality industry and others have just been failed by the system,” he said.

One way to navigate this difficult time is to get the ‘pay it forward’ scheme up and running properly he said. This would at least ensure that people in need got one free meal a day and would take the burden of the kitchen and others like them.

“This could be in operation island wide and there is no reason why it couldn’t help to look after thousands of people in need,” he said.

Through donations, those who are really in need will be given meal vouchers that they can present at participating establishments in return for a hot meal. The establishment will then redeem the voucher from the donations that have been given.

“We really need more people to help us with preparation, cooking and deliveries. Unfortunately, we do not have the finances to offer any payment, so we are once again relying on the good will and caring nature of people around us.”

For further information: Chalkies Kitchen on Facebook

Geroskipou municipality on Tuesday harangued Interior Minister Nicos Nouris for singling them out in his drive to implement local government reform willy-nilly, saying their own ideas about merging with neighbouring communities are better.

In a statement, the municipality called on the minister “to cease his systematic targeting of the municipality” and “concentrate on the substance of the reform, from which we have begun to deviate, evidently due to certain fixations and expediencies.”

Geroskipou said that ever since the House interior affairs committee decided upon 20 municipalities – rather than the 17 proposed in the government blueprint – Nouris has “not stopped speaking about the need for Geroskipou to be conjoined to Paphos municipality.”

Under the government plan to create municipal clusters and achieve economies of scale, Geroskipou would be merged with Paphos municipality, as well as with the communities of Achelia, Timi and Konia.

But Geroskipou, Timi and Konia do not favour a union with Paphos municipality, proposing instead that the three merge among themselves to create an ‘Eastern Paphos’ municipality.

Geroskipou municipality said the interior minister has embarked on a campaign to sway public opinion over to the government’s position.

It said that the data Nouris parades from a study commissioned by his ministry have been ‘debunked’ in a letter they wrote about a year ago.

Whereas the minister insists that Geroskipou’s merger with Paphos will halve the cost of services, Geroskipou says these calculations are false.

The ministry’s study, they added, “did not manage to conceal the self-sufficiency of Geroskipou municipality to cope with the scenario of merging with the communities in eastern Paphos.

“Not only that, it conceded that the new municipality emerging from that scenario would generate a surplus of €1.2 million per year – the same estimated surplus were the merger with Paphos to occur.”

Geroskipou went on to say that the study in question cherry-picked certain data, and omitted other information.

It also didn’t factor in the outstanding loans of the municipalities, their dues to various funds or their liabilities to third parties.

The government’s plan envisages slashing the number of municipalities from 30 currently to 17, creating municipal clusters with enhanced jurisdictions and devolving power away from the central government.

Geroskipou are not alone in terms of their misgivings over the government blueprint- Aradippou in Larnaca district and Paralimni in Famagusta district are likewise unhappy.

Meantime opposition parties have thrown a spanner in the works, tinkering with the government legislation and raising the number of municipal clusters to 20.

And in another spoiler – from the government’s standpoint – they want individual communities to hold plebiscites on the question of the mergers.

The government bills had been expected to go to the House plenum for a vote sometime this month.

There is an urgent need for a holistic approach to the problem of abandonment and complete ‘withering’ of the Cyprus countryside before it’s too late, the Paphos regional board of tourism said on Friday.

The comments were made following an onsite visit to the community of Peristerona this week, to find ways to best move forward with opening up rural areas and so encourage more people to enjoy the countryside.

Upcoming improvements are part of a venture which is a joint effort between the ministry of tourism and the Paphos regional board of tourism.

The regional director of the forest department, head of the Paphos regional board, the leader of the Peristerona Community and an architect-designer were all present, the tourism board announced.

“The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate the various bodies with the researcher and make decisions about the next steps,” a statement said, adding, “a  feasible study for the revitalisation of the  countryside must be done before the situation is too late and damage becomes irreversible.”

The planning for the opening of a nature study path has already been agreed, while a collaborator / researcher has commenced the design of a model picnic area that meets the needs of today, the tourism board noted.

In addition, a 92 km cycling route has been completed in the area that connects the communities of Peristerona, Lysos, Steni, through Stavros of Psokas, and already in progress are a number of actions that include interventions for better presentation of various points of interest along with signs and general tidying of the community, said Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, the head of the Paphos regional board of tourism.

“In close cooperation with the ministry of tourism, we will intensify the efforts for the implementation of several actions in various communities of the Paphos district within the framework of the Action Plan for 2021 and the coming years,” he said.

Police are investigating an explosion that rocked a house in Paphos on Tuesday evening.

According to a spokesman, the incident took place at 7.25pm on the corner of Navarino and Archbishop Kyprianos streets.

Two suspects riding a moped threw a grenade towards a private residence, damaging the front of the house as well as a vehicle owned by the residents, which was parked in front.

There were no injuries.

Police have inspected the site for evidence that might lead them to the suspects and will continue investigating the incident.

Paphos police are looking for two people in connection with a hand grenade explosion outside the home of a doctor on Tuesday evening, spokesman Michalis Ioannou told the Cyprus News Agency on Wednesday.

He said police have issued two arrest warrants against two people aged 73 and 46 reported to have financial differences with the doctor.

The explosion occurred at around 7.00 pm on Tuesday outside an apartment block in central Paphos. Police cordoned off the area. Investigations showed that the explosion was due to a military-type defensive hand grenade.

Ioannou said that the explosion led to extensive damage to the building and the doctor’s car. There was also slight damage to a second car belonging to the same family.

The spokesman said that preliminary investigations suggest that the culprits’ motives were linked to the business activities of the owner which are not connected to his medical profession.

Paphos CID took evidence from the scene last night which remains under police guard. Investigations continue with police also looking at CCTV footage from the area.

Ioannou said that CCTV had captured the movement of two people on a motorbike, with the passenger seen throwing the hand grenade.

The two people arrested on Wednesday as part of an investigation into Tuesday’s hand-grenade attack at a residential home in Paphos have been released.

Further investigations are ongoing, with a house being searched and a hunt for the moped that was used in the attack, but the two people have been released pending further DNA and fingerprint results.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Thursday, Paphos police spokesman Michalis Ioannou said that current testimonies are not sufficient to proceed with charges.

The explosion occurred at around 7.00 pm on Tuesday outside an apartment block in central Paphos. Police cordoned off the area. Investigations showed that the explosion was due to a military-type defensive hand grenade.

Ioannou said that the explosion led to extensive damage to the building and the doctor’s car. There was also slight damage to a second car belonging to the same family.

The spokesman said that preliminary investigations suggest that the culprits’ motives were linked to the business activities of the owner which are not connected to his medical profession.

Paphos CID took evidence from the scene last night which remains under police guard. Investigations continue with police also looking at CCTV footage from the area.

Ioannou said that CCTV had captured the movement of two people on a motorbike, with the passenger seen throwing the hand grenade.

Police are looking for a 30-year-old Paphos resident who has been linked to a spate of burglaries in Peyia and further attempted robberies in the Sea Caves area.

One of the burglaries was reported by a woman at Coral Bay while she was on holiday in May, 2019, who said that cash and items worth 2,500 euros were stolen from her house – including two laptops and an ipad.

Police, at the scene, had collected fingerprint samples and other genetic material which on Wednesday was connected to the 30-year-old.

Police said that the suspect has been involved and came to the attention of the force for similar incidents in the past.

Elderly British expats hit the hardest by pandemic-induced closure

For 91-year-old Ivy Gibson the UKCA social club in Paphos is a lifeline that staves off loneliness, a feeling that has only been exacerbated by months of lockdown and self-isolation.

“I miss going to the club and seeing everyone, I am feeling a bit lonely,” she told the Sunday Mail.

The UK Citizens’ Association club has been an integral part of the lives of many British residents in Cyprus for the last 21 years and like its elderly member Ivy has been especially badly hit by the lockdown measures.

Unless it’s allowed to reopen its doors in the next couple of weeks, it will struggle to remain in operation at all, club officials have warned.

“We have lost a lot of money due to being closed and we are still paying bills and rent for the premises, although we have negotiated to pay less during these times. We have no income from membership fees or bar sales either. We really need to open,” head of the UKCA, Debbie Bell told the Sunday Mail.

The UKCA Social Club was created to meet the needs of both the full and part-time UK expatriate population, as well as for those holidaying on the island. It organises entertainment, hosts a plethora of all sorts of groups, has a club library and offers reasonably priced food and drink. There is also a welfare section.

The forced closure of the club has meant an abrupt halt in social interaction for many Paphos residents, particularly older members, who regard the club as a lifeline. Ninety per cent of the club’s members are over the age of 60 and a few are in their 90s, Bell said.

“The UKCA is the main place that I go for my Sunday lunch and take a friend there. I know Debbie and she treats me like family,” said Ivy. “She is still keeping in contact by phone, but it’s just not the same.”

Although the 91-year-old likes to keep busy by knitting blankets for local charities, Ivy now has little social interaction with other people.

Another elderly member told the Sunday Mail that he hasn’t seen anyone since the club closed in December.

“I feel very isolated and I haven’t got anyone to talk to. I am very reliant on going to the UKCA. There is always someone there to have a conversation with. They are a really friendly bunch. I can get hot food and a drink there too. I don’t really cook for myself these days,” he said

Bell explained that as the club was forced to close last year they have been badly affected. Unlike many other businesses, the club’s busiest time is during the winter months. Many British residents return to the UK during the hotter months of June, July and August, making winter trade, from September to May, is the UKCA’s busiest time.

“We lost our big money earners of Christmas and New Year’s Eve. As we are a ‘not for profit’ organisation, staff are getting nothing and my heart goes out to people who don’t have any savings or anything put aside,” she said.

The club is hoping to host a Christmas Day lunch when they are allowed to reopen, whatever the month, as it was previously a soldout event.

Operating costs for the club are around €4,000 a month and include rent, wages, social insurance payments and building maintenance.

The club is also available for private hire for a small fee and that this is an area that will be promoted once it is allowed to open its doors again.

Members are also missing participating in events and the long list of activities offered. These include: a camera and computer club, bingo, crib, Mahjong, darts, backgammon and all sorts of dance groups, including line dancing.

“The club is a friendly place to relax, meet old friends and make new ones. It’s easy to join and membership brings many benefits, but only some of our members have rejoined so far, due to the uncertainty,” Bell said.

The club usually has around 300 to 400 members who each pay an annual 50 euros fee. So far, only around one hundred have paid for this year, she said.

In addition, the busy bar which usually brings in around €5,000 a month for the club has had no income. Rent from the restaurant also brings in further income.

Bell noted that the club was only open for a week in November 2020 and around 10 days in December. It is usually open 7 days a week from around 8.30am to 10pm.

“We have no idea when we will be able to open again. Along with all the other businesses affected, we are finding it really hard. I don’t know what the future may hold for us,” Bell said.

Paphos police and the fire services are investigating the cause of a fire which broke out at midnight in an apartment building.

A 53-year-old man, the owner of the building, reported to police that around midnight a fire started on the ground floor, in an area where electricity meters of the electricity authority are located.

The fire service extinguished the fire and guarded the scene throughout the night.

The extent of the damage has not yet been determined.

Investigations by police, the fire service and the electromechanical service resumed in the early morning.

The building is not insured.

Paphos police on Thursday booked 14 people for violating coronavirus measures while seven of them were also booked for illegal gambling.

As part of an operation to combat gambling, officers searched a building in Paphos at around 8.20pm.

Seven persons were found playing poker while another seven were present.

They were fined as gatherings of such a large number of persons is prohibited.

Police seized 52 playing cards and 136 gambling chips as evidence.

Just a day earlier, Limassol police booked 13 people for gathering at a home in Ypsonas in violation of coronavirus-related decrees and for illegal gambling.

With around 90 per cent of eligible people taking up coronavirus vaccinations in Paphos, there is strong support in the area for some kind of Covid passport.

“This is the right way to go and I am happy to have a vaccine passport, I would shout it from the roof tops as I want people to know that I’ve had it. I don’t think that airlines should let people get on a plane unless they’ve got one, I think it’s a good idea,” said resident Ted Parry, 76.

The introduction of digital vaccination certificates in the EU were raised on Thursday as countries moved closer to an agreement at a virtual EU summit.

Such a certificate would enable people to travel in Europe despite the coronavirus pandemic and could be available before the summer, reviving international travel and in time for this summer’s holiday season, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Everyone agreed that we need a digital vaccination certificate,” she told a press conference on Thursday.

Greece supports an EU-wide vaccine certificate to open up summer tourism, and along with Cyprus has reached an agreement with Israel, which has a digital Green Pass enabling travel for those with proof of a vaccination.

Some countries are backing a common EU approach instead of individual schemes although Merkel said the EU would need around three months to create such documents.

Meanwhile a poll carried out this week by Rock FM in Paphos found that more than 70 per cent of listeners support a digital vaccine ‘passport.’

“We would also both be happy to carry vaccination passports and don’t see a problem with it at all,” Mike Bingham, 75, said after he and his wife Christine,72, were vaccinated on Thursday.

Mark Morris, 67, too showed support for such a plan, saying he would have the vaccine when offered and if a vaccine passport is required to be able to fly, he wouldn’t object.

However, if it was required to enter restaurants, concerts and for other reasons, he wouldn’t, “rush out to get one.”

“This may be a step too far, they may as well tattoo a bar code on our foreheads and be done with it. I can see the logic for travel but not for jobs and to enter restaurants,” he added.

People wanting a Covid 19 vaccine in Cyprus must be registered with Gesy. They are then able to book an appointment through the government portal or request their Gesy registered doctor to do it for them.

“We are using both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines in Paphos at present and everyone we see is happy to be getting them. We have vaccinated all of the health professionals, doctors and nurses, and are also travelling out to health centres in the villages to administer vaccines there,” Paphos vaccine programme co-ordinator and health visitor Elena Zachariou told the Sunday Mail.

Paphos has a large number of elderly residents, many of them British expats that have settled in the district, and most feel fortunate to receive a Covid 19 vaccine.

The Binghams both have health issues and received their first dose of AstraZeneca at Palia Ilektriki cultural centre on Thursday, the first day of the new site’s operation, and said that the experience was “very professional”.

“It was a good experience overall and run very well. There were seven booths all operating and injections were painless. We have our next appointment for May,” Mike Bingham said.

The vaccination programme currently underway at Paphos General Hospital is also receiving high praise, with patients noting it is swift, efficient and well run.

“I had my first jab on Thursday and didn’t feel a thing. Staff were courteous and the whole thing was terrific, I can’t speak highly enough of the staff and congratulate them on smooth it all was,” Paphos resident, Terry Scott, 77, said.

Cypriot Pensioner, Eleni, agreed. “I was apprehensive, but I shouldn’t have been, it was all fine and nothing to worry about. The staff did a good job. I think it’s important for everyone to be vaccinated. This virus affects everyone, young and old and we all need to keep each other safe,” she said.

So far, 5,000 people have been vaccinated at Paphos General hospital, while by Friday Polis Chrysochous has carried out 967 with Palia Ilektriki now operational on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday where 288 can be administered a day.

Medics are also visiting health centres in the outlying villages such as, Polemi, Salamiou, Kato Pyrgos and Panayia to ensure all areas are covered.

“We haven’t had any serious side effects reported so far, just headaches and fever and so on, which is normal and expected with any vaccine,” Zachariou concluded.

Cyta CEO Andreas Neocleous in a recent interview with the Cyprus Mail raised an interesting point regarding the implementation of 5G and the resulting facilitation of advanced technology solutions on the island. Neocleous explained that while the telecommunications infrastructure will be there to support and enable the use of certain technologies in a variety of applications, this would not be enough for their successful implementation and long-term use.

“We still have to enhance the existing transportation infrastructure, parking infrastructure, re-invent city plans, as well as put in place related legislation and updated Highway Code,” he said in reference to the rising popularity and availability of vehicles with automated driving features. “These are not simple things, they require a strategic shift in policies and regulation,” Neocleous added. Indeed, the need for a more holistic and considered approach is key for Cyprus in a wide array of fields but technology offers the most gleaming example.

On February 2, Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos announced plans which aim to modernise the city and its administration through the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS). Think of GIS as a multi-dimensional, integrated tool for analysis and insight. It correlates data on multiple levels, allowing its users to manage and analyse that data for them to make the most informed decisions at any given moment. Moreover, it can allow organisations to monitor changes, observe trends and create forecasting reports which can in turn allow for better preparation or the application of corrective measures.

For Paphos council the GIS system will ultimately be able to combine data provided by all public utility networks. This includes their own internal maps. In essence, if a new development project is under consideration, the council will be able to see how this affects or is affected by the water board, the electricity authority and the Department of Town Planning and Housing. Moreover, this can then in turn be combined with data relating to traffic, emissions, noise pollution, and more.

Since then, Nicosia has also announced its own plans for the implementation of Smart City features. However, the Cypriot capital has gone one step ahead, stating that it will become ‘the first smart city on the island’. In truth, Nicosia’s plans are much more expansive in scope than Paphos’, at least for the time being. The smart city plans for Nicosia include a fibre optic network, a wireless network, information points, mobility solutions digital signage, and smart LED lighting.

However, one of the most intriguing parts of the project involves the installation of a number of sensors related to atmospheric pollution (measuring dust, temperature and air quality), the creation of a smart waste system, and a smart parking system. But while the data and its subsequent analysis will produce certain findings the crux of the matter is how those findings are acted upon.

Cyprus has already suffered from its non-adherence to European Union-mandated climate change-related emissions targets. So while the council ascertains that the smart parking system will reduce emissions by decreasing traffic, any reduction in emissions would sadly not be enough to neither tangibly improve air quality nor bring down our cumulative emissions to the desired levels.

Initiatives elsewhere in the world: Estonia, South Korea, Japan

Cyprus taking its first Smart City steps at a later point than other cities elsewhere in the world is not necessarily a drawback. Being late to the party allows local administrations and governments to better scan the field and implement solutions that have been tried and tested elsewhere without having to suffer the teething problems of emerging technologies.

South Korea, one of the leading countries in terms of Smart City implementation, started a smart mobility system in Seoul all the way back in 2003. This system was a response to the decreasing use of public buses and the shift of Korean drivers to personal vehicles, a problem faced by Cyprus today. The system integrated GPS and the city’s bus management system to create a fluid public transport system which diverted buses to the route they were needed to the most at any given time during the day.

In Estonia smart city features have been implemented in capital Tallinn. Beyond the availability of WiFi everywhere in the city, the Estonian government has also made a lot of data open to the public.

In Japan, Toyota recently began work on its Woven City project, designed to be integrated from day one, rather than gradually implementing smart features into a pre-existing city or urban area. It will have three different but interconnected street types, one for automated vehicles, one for pedestrians and one for people using personal mobility vehicles. Moreover, the city will include wooden houses partly constructed by robots, and it will use a combination of solar energy, geothermal energy and hydrogen fuel cells. “We will take on the challenge of creating a future where people of diverse backgrounds are able to live happily,” said Toyota president Akio Toyoda.

Concerns

Of course, the implementation of 5G and smart city features are not without issues that need to be accounted for in the government’s planning and should always be firmly addressed in any communications strategies going forward. These primarily concern the ethical issue of privacy. Private citizens will invariably welcome any schemes if they make their lives better, but will also need to be convinced that any technology solutions implemented will not be used maliciously.

Two key factors the government needs to stay abreast of and incorporate in their planning includes the way to categorise and prioritise data (people are willing to share some information more readily than other pieces of information) and the purpose for which the data collection is taking place. As Dutch researcher Liesbet van Zoonen stated: “the contrast between service and surveillance purposes [is] most paramount”.

New bus-stop signs incorporating ‘Quick Response’ (QR) codes have been installed along electric bus routes in Paphos according to the municipality.

“Now at the disposal of passengers are special information signs with ‘QR Code’ that have been placed at the stops of the two ‘green routes’ of the electric bus,” it announced.

This is launched along with the internet application for mobile phones (mobile application) that has been integrated in the existing digital tourism and culture platform of ‘Explore Pafos’, they noted.

“Passengers can scan the QR code on their mobile phone and connect to the online application of the electric bus to obtain informed in real time about the route of the bus, stops, and both the arrival and departure times, and also for the historical or tourist points of interest of the wider area. “

Users must  download  the Explore Pafos platform to their mobile phone which is available from the Apple Store and Google Play, and also the two QR codes that are  present on the bus stops.

The Explore Pafos platform is powered by innovative augmented reality technology, and is Paphos’ digital tour guide featuring multimedia Information (text, photos, videos, 360) of the district’s major landmarks sorted by category: culture, environment, tourism and services.

It also has an interactive map with points of interest, an event calendar and multilingual content in Greek, English, Russian, Hebrew and German. The platform has been developed within the Smart Cities project (Interreg V-A Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020).

The timetable of routes in Paphos old town starts at 9am and ends at 1pm daily from Monday to Friday. Each journey takes approximately 30 minutes with a waiting time of three minutes at each stop. The public can get on and off the bus at the following stops:

Stop 1: “Attikon” Multipurpose Center, Stop 2: Paphos Archaeological Museum, Stop 3: Markos Drakos Square and Stop 4: Administrative Court.

The timetable of routes in Kato Paphos starts at 4.15pm and ends at 7.45pm, daily from Monday to Friday. Each journey takes approximately 25 minutes with a waiting time of 3 minutes at each stop. The stops where passengers board and disembark are:Stop 1: Panagia Chrysopolitissa, Stop 2: Church of Agios Antonios,Stop 3: Municipal Baths (Poseidonos Avenue – in front of Annabelle Hotel) and Stop 4: Apostolou Pavlou Avenue (in front of “Hondros” tavern)

The vehicle has a total capacity of 20 people with provisions for people with disabilities.

“This is the first electric bus in Cyprus and its operation by the Municipality of Paphos sends the resounding message of environmental protection by utilising electricity,” it said.

The supply of the bus and the development and construction of the supporting infrastructure was done after relevant tenders in the framework of the implementation of the ECORouTs project of the Interreg V-A Cooperation Programme, “Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020”.

The centre of Paphos old town and the market area will be made more accessible to everyone, with particular emphasis on those with mobility problems, the local municipality has announced.

It said that in order to make the traditional shopping centre of Paphos one of the most accessible and functional in Cyprus, it was going ahead with a series of improvements in the area.

On Wednesday, Mayor Phedonas Phedonos signed a contract which will see, among other improvements, the construction of ramps for wheelchair users, special signs for the visually impaired, and services placed underground, it said.

“The mayor signed a contract with D. Kouppis & Sons Construction Co Ltd the contract for the execution of the project “Construction of facilities and improvements in the Paphos Shopping Centre”, with a total cost € 153,000 and a duration of six months,” the municipality announced.

Phedonos noted that the area of the traditional shopping centre is a matter of high priority for the municipality, which was why it continues to make improvements and upgrades there aiming to greatly improve accessibility, especially for people with mobility and other problems, and will further landscape and improve the functionality of the area.

Within the framework of the project, ramps will be constructed for people with disabilities and special needs, along with signs for the blind, guides and information signs will also be put in place, corrections will be made to street lighting poles, existing water meters will be placed underground and service cabinets created, it said.

In addition, metal railings will be placed on external stairs of premises, the construction of new stairs and corrections to existing ones will take place, as well as other works that will improve safety and accessibility in the area.

The Paphos regional board of tourism is looking towards the domestic market to kickstart the sector and expects the government to give the green light to lift restrictive measures put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

In addition, it expects competitive prices to be offered by accommodation providers across the board.

“Indications from hotels and other providers are that competitive prices will be offered in order to attract domestic tourism and it is this market that will resume the sector as a whole,” a spokesman for the board told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday.

“April, May and June are exceptional months for short getaways and holidays and we are not expecting International visitors before the end of May,” he added.

The board is actively contributing to the anticipated restart of the industry and is preparing an islandwide promotion campaign supported by the Ministry of Tourism that will cover the entire district of Paphos.

It includes an organised campaign on social media. The programme will also include Google ads, internet and radio contests, articles, and use influencers / bloggers etc.

Paphos expects to continue to be, as always, the first choice for permanent residents of Cyprus for holidays on the island, he said.

“Indications are that there is a lot of desire and intention by residents to visit other areas of Cyprus, and Paphos could be the number one choice for so many,” he said.

Although industry professional are hopeful that 2021 will be better than 2020, it should be viewed as the beginning of the rebound for the industry.

It will take at least two or three years to reach anything like the previous numbers of visitors to the island, which peaked at around four million, he added.

“We remain positive and ready and are awaiting a possible announcement of the de-escalation of restrictive measures for the start of domestic tourism,” he concluded.

But longer term issues threaten survival

Rural communities in Paphos say the pandemic has helped to highlight the benefits of living in the countryside as day-to-day life ‘hasn’t changed that much’.

However, nothing can disguise the continued existential threat to life in villages like Inia, Paphos.

People are still able to work outside, take daily exercise by walking in the countryside and are generally happy, officials and residents of Inia village told the Sunday Mail.

“It is much better to be living in a village like Inia during this period as we’re not as restricted, people can go to their fields and land, but if it happens that there is no income, then it will be fatal,” said Inia community leader, Yiangos Tsivicos this week.

Inia is a prime example of rural depopulation and is now one of the villages earmarked to be included in the government’s new incentive scheme to encourage young families to live there.

Currently, options for younger families in the village are practically zero and Tsivicos said incentives, such as the recent plan announced by the government, is a good starting point.

The scheme now includes 258 communities in total. Beneficiaries, among other things, will be entitled to financial assistance of up to €55,000 and additionally up to €15,000 for special construction (such as retaining walls), and up to €10,000 for people with disabilities, according to the minister of the interior, Nicos Nouris.

“For the first time we (Inia) are included in such a programme and it will benefit us a lot. It will give a motivation for young couples to stay in the village, as they will get a grant of 50,000 euros or so from the government to help build a house here,” the community leader said.

In addition, a plan by the deputy ministry of tourism aimed at boosting rural and mountain tourism has also been announced.

It aims to create a better experience for visitors and increase the number of local and foreign tourists to areas like Inia.

Communities can submit their requests for upgrades that will be subsidised by the government. These will include renovating old buildings and promoting local arts and traditions.

However, this could all be in vain if the Akamas issue is not concluded and the green light is given for some sort of development in certain areas, he said.

Inia covers large swathes of land, he noted, and as the Akamas problem has dragged on for 32 years, during this time land has decreased in value to practically zero.

“This is one of the reasons that young people moved away. Development was not allowed, there has been no new businesses, no jobs for young people and this results in everyone leaving.”

Since 1989, large areas of the Akamas, which includes Inia, were declared as an area with zero building factor, so all development was banned.

No compensation has been given to the owners, nor has anything been done to help, such as exchange or expropriation, he said.

A controversial national park is due to finished next year, but will only include state land.

“We really need strong incentives to convince young people to stay or even return to their villages,” he said.

Inia has a population of around 400-500 permanent residents, he said, but most are pensioners and fewer than ten are young families. They work in either Paphos or Polis, he said. And although the school is open, student numbers are low, even below the minimum requirement, he said.

There are currently only six children in kindergarten and fourteen in the primary school.

Andreas Stephanou,40, lives in Paphos and his father is from Inia, but he left a number of years ago to pursue work and married and settled in Paphos.

Although Stephanou has land in Inia where he would like to build a house, it’s not a practical place to live permanently at present, he said.

“If I could go back to Inia I would, but it’s not so easy, and even though it’s not so far from Paphos, it’s still a way to travel every day to work.”

The main priority would be his children as they grow up and need to attend a secondary school and outside lessons.

“Who would take them to Paphos or Polis as they get older. Also, there isn’t much for them to do there. If there was a bus it would help, but they would get tired of doing this every day.”

Even though Stephanou enjoys working the land, it is not so for every couple and he also raised the point that farmers’ incomes have been slashed and money is needed to buy and invest in equipment such as a tractor.

“There is only one supermarket in the village. You could be very organised and buy other items in Polis or Paphos, so there are solutions, but they are not easy.”

The previous community leader, Savvas Charalambous, agrees that more needs to be done to encourage people to move to the village before it’s too late and rural life dies out. He is a farmer whose land is found close to Lara beach.

“Proper plans need to be put in place to encourage young people to stay in Inia or move here. Careful development and plans such as those I suggested like wind and solar farms would create jobs,” he said. “Even though life goes on much the same during this pandemic and we are lucky to be more free than the cities, we still need to plan for the future.”

Charalambous still works outside every day and enjoys it.

“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. It’s so beautiful. We have the best beach, mountains and forest, I just wish the young people felt the same.”

A Paphos based cyclist and cancer survivor set off on Thursday morning on a cycle ride to Parliament in Nicosia to highlight the urgent need to establish an oncology centre in the coastal town.

Currently, cancer patients mostly have to travel to Nicosia for treatment which on top of coping with their ailments can prove exhausting, he said.

“I am representing all of the cancer patients of Paphos and speaking up for all of us. I know how hard treatment can be and travelling to Nicosia for treatment every day or every week is too tiring. We need a small centre here and I hope we can make this happen,” Petros Stylianou told the Cyprus Mail.

He will address MPs to explain the need to create such a centre.

Stylianou set off from Paphos at around 5am, aiming to reach parliament by about 11. He is cycling alone, accompanied by a friend in a car, Glaukos Glaukou, acting as a support vehicle.

The cyclist is a popular figure and the winner of the 2019 Heart of Gold Cyprus Award for his ongoing fundraising efforts and courage.

Stylianou was diagnosed with stomach cancer around nine years ago and given a 10 per cent chance of survival. He started cycling and has not stopped since, participating in many marathons and cycling tours all over the world raising thousands for charities and individuals.

The cyclists’ goal now is to raise as much money as possible to help create an oncology centre in Paphos.

“I have been told that a small oncology centre will cost around €11 million and Archbishop Chrysostomos is interested to help and has pledged €3 million towards setting it up which is fantastic. I will raise as much as I can,” he said.

Stylianou was hoping to take part in numerous European cycling events to raise funds dung the last year or so, but that was scuppered by the Covid 19 pandemic. However, he plans to continue with these actions later this year or next.

“Every month I am cycling to raise funds for Pasycaf, or other charities or people that need help. I am hoping that the government will help with creating this centre.”

Paphos registered a decrease in reported crimes in 2020 compared to the previous year, according to Paphos police spokesperson Michalis Ioannou.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency on Monday, Ioannou said that last year, a total of 788 serious crimes were officially reported, a drop of 222 from 2019. 

Of the 788 cases, 580 were taken to their completion, around 75 per cent. Ioannou said that the figure is the highest among all districts in Cyprus. 

He added that last year three murders were committed in Paphos, all of which were promptly investigated and are currently being tried before the court. No murders were committed in 2019.

Moreover, four murder attempts were registered in 2020, one more than the previous year.

Reported rape offences also rose last year with police recording 10 cases, compared to four in 2019.

A total of 21 arson cases were also registered in 2020, once again an increase from the previous year, where 20 cases were reported.

On the other hand, there were far fewer home burglaries in 2020 compared to 2019 in Paphos, 199 against 271, as well as theft offences, 90 compared to 199.

Regarding other serious crimes, such as trafficking of illegal immigrants, forgeries, and money laundering, Ioannou said 336 cases were reported in 2019, a number reduced to 254 last year.

Since the introduction of a dedicated task force against domestic violence on February 21 this year, the police have registered a total of 28 cases, arresting 14 people, four of whom have been issued restrictive orders by the court, he said. 

Overnight rough seas damaged yachts and fishing boats at the Paphos harbour with locals complaining nothing had been done over the years to protect it.

Owners and workers had to scramble in the early morning hours to secure boats whose ropes were cut because of rough seas and strong winds.

The boats crashed into the pier and into each other sustaining damage.

The spokesman of the ferry association said a new pier had to be constructed and the harbour deepened, as it did not offer any protection.

Paphos will get one of the largest parks in Cyprus and work will be complete in nine month’s time, according to the local municipality.

“The municipality of Paphos is proceeding with the creation of the largest urban park in the city and one of the largest in Cyprus,” it announced.

On Friday, the mayor, Phedonas Phedonos, signed an agreement with the contracting company, Miltiades Neophytou Civil Engineering Contractors & Developers Ltd.

The contract relates to the construction of the project “Creation of the Municipal Park of Colours”, with a total cost € 3,715,180 and duration of work nine months.

The “Park of Colours” covers an area of 32,000 sq.m. and will be the “richest” in Cyprus both in terms of greenery and infrastructure, it noted.

It will include squares, gathering places, playground, a cafeteria, tennis and basketball courts, a small soccer field, locker rooms, a skateboard area, and a climbing wall of 3-6m.

There will also be a management office and information space, an outdoor area garden, toilets, 83 parking spaces for the public, with provision for the disabled, service areas, main entrance and entrance gates. In addition, hundreds of new trees will be planted.