Tourist Coach Owners Association protest about traffic problem
CORFU. These scenes do not honour us at all and tarnish the image that those of us who respect and serve tourism are building.
A letter of protest regarding the traffic problem that exists throughout the entire island was sent to Mayor Stefanos Poulimenos and Regional Governor Yiannis Trepeklis by the Tourist Coach Owners Association. They state the following:
"All the residents of this island are aware of the enormous and much-discussed traffic problem that has now become a plague. Areas such as Paleokastritsa have become inaccessible. Lefkimmi National Road is impassable for most of the day, and extremely dangerous due to cars being criminally parked on dangerous curves, especially in Perama. Paleokastritsa National Road, with traffic lights that, the way they operate, hinder traffic rather than facilitate it (the Ekati Junction, for example). And then add in the festivals to all this.
Last night, we witnessed an incredible traffic jam on Lefkimmi National Road at Agia Kyriaki, where a local fair was taking place without any provisions from the organisers for parking spaces for the attendees. The result of their indifference was that the road turned into a parking lot, causing long delays for our buses transporting tourists, especially to the airport, with the risk of them missing their flights. Passengers, in panic due to being trapped in the buses and seeing the time approaching when they should already be at the airport, turned into raging bulls and aggressively confronted everyone.
These scenes do not honour us at all and tarnish the image that those of us who respect and serve tourism are building.
Because there will be more such events throughout the summer, we ask that, in coordination with other relevant authorities, you ensure that the roads remain available for users.
We would like to add once again that a fellow human being might be in danger at that moment and lose their life due to the criminal negligence of those who organise and those who allow or license such events."
Nikos Tsagaris, President
Spyros Tsirigotis, Secretary
ELENI KORONAKI
Photo: Enimerosi archive
