Old Town Permanent Residents΄ Association sends letter to Police Chief
permanent residents
07 Apr 2023
/ 21:37
CORFU. Regarding the operation of the Lower Square car park and the tourist coaches parked at the Aktaion.
The Old Town Permanent Residents' Association sent a letter to the Police Chief Spyros Skolarikis, regarding the operation of the Lower Square car park and the tourist coaches parked in the historic centre and, in particular at the Aktaion.
The Association reminded the Police Chief of the Corfu Old Town Management Plan, which provides for a ban on heavy vehicle from the historic centre. They also proposed to allow only smaller vehicles, permanent residents and those with special needs.
Letter from the Association:
We would like to mention two issues that concern all users of the Old Town, and especially the permanent residents that we as an Association represent:
1) Various Corfu bodies and associations have talked to you many times about the tourist coaches and other vehicles that park at the Aktaion in the Upper Square, acting in our opinion purely on union criteria and interests.
2) Since Monday 3 April 2023, the car park in the Lower Square has been operating illegally in a public/community area with a parking fee, without the permission of the Ionian Islands Regional Authority and/or the Ionian Islands Decentralised Administration, according to a statement from the Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Zorbas to the media and according to the actual facts.
The Transparency Authority, which examined in a multi-page report whether it is legal or not to use this public space as a car park with a parking fee, decided that it this not allowed under a number of laws mentioned in the report.
Our Association, which is representing the Old Town residents, wants to let you and every responsible body and authority in this municipality know that its clear positions on both issues are the following:
Α. All heavy vehicles such as buses, trucks, trains, etc. should be prohibited from driving and parking within the old town, as the latter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Β. 1) There should only be the permanent residents' vehicles within the old town on roads designated or to be designated as low-traffic roads, as well as cars for those with special needs and civil protection vehicles. They will serve the immediate and daily needs of the permanent residents, who will then park them in predetermined parking spaces with blue markings around and within the old town.
B. 2) The parking spaces in the Lower Square, the open-air market and Spilia should be used temporarily in accordance with the General Urban Plan, provided that the conditions set by the Transparency Authority and the Decentralised Administration are met, until the Corfu Town General Urban Plan is updated and until regional car parks start operating.
If a parking fee is imposed on these car parks, it will be determined by the Municipal Council in accordance with the social policy that should always be applied in such cases and with the aim of not burdening the residents.
B. 3) Supply vehicles should be temporarily allowed to enter during predetermined hours until a permanent solution is found, as is the case in other UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world.
We are confident, Mr. Chief, that you will do what is legal. The criterion cannot be only economic, to support or serve some bodies, a minority of citizens, at the expense of thousands of residents' quality of life.
N. Olympios - President
A. Thymis - Secretary
CORFU OLD TOWN PERMANENT RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION
The Association reminded the Police Chief of the Corfu Old Town Management Plan, which provides for a ban on heavy vehicle from the historic centre. They also proposed to allow only smaller vehicles, permanent residents and those with special needs.
Letter from the Association:
We would like to mention two issues that concern all users of the Old Town, and especially the permanent residents that we as an Association represent:
1) Various Corfu bodies and associations have talked to you many times about the tourist coaches and other vehicles that park at the Aktaion in the Upper Square, acting in our opinion purely on union criteria and interests.
2) Since Monday 3 April 2023, the car park in the Lower Square has been operating illegally in a public/community area with a parking fee, without the permission of the Ionian Islands Regional Authority and/or the Ionian Islands Decentralised Administration, according to a statement from the Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Zorbas to the media and according to the actual facts.
The Transparency Authority, which examined in a multi-page report whether it is legal or not to use this public space as a car park with a parking fee, decided that it this not allowed under a number of laws mentioned in the report.
Our Association, which is representing the Old Town residents, wants to let you and every responsible body and authority in this municipality know that its clear positions on both issues are the following:
Α. All heavy vehicles such as buses, trucks, trains, etc. should be prohibited from driving and parking within the old town, as the latter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Β. 1) There should only be the permanent residents' vehicles within the old town on roads designated or to be designated as low-traffic roads, as well as cars for those with special needs and civil protection vehicles. They will serve the immediate and daily needs of the permanent residents, who will then park them in predetermined parking spaces with blue markings around and within the old town.
B. 2) The parking spaces in the Lower Square, the open-air market and Spilia should be used temporarily in accordance with the General Urban Plan, provided that the conditions set by the Transparency Authority and the Decentralised Administration are met, until the Corfu Town General Urban Plan is updated and until regional car parks start operating.
If a parking fee is imposed on these car parks, it will be determined by the Municipal Council in accordance with the social policy that should always be applied in such cases and with the aim of not burdening the residents.
B. 3) Supply vehicles should be temporarily allowed to enter during predetermined hours until a permanent solution is found, as is the case in other UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world.
We are confident, Mr. Chief, that you will do what is legal. The criterion cannot be only economic, to support or serve some bodies, a minority of citizens, at the expense of thousands of residents' quality of life.
N. Olympios - President
A. Thymis - Secretary
CORFU OLD TOWN PERMANENT RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION
