ROAD AWARENESS: Another accident involving an electric bicycle—How much more “under investigation” can the asphalt take?
A traffic accident occurred around 12:30 PM on Saturday on Grigoris Afxentiou Street, in the Parekklisia area of Limassol, when a cyclist on an electric bike collided with a passing vehicle, under circumstances that are currently being investigated.
The cyclist was injured and transported by ambulance to the Limassol General Hospital, where he will undergo medical examinations, while his health status has not yet been disclosed. Authorities continue their investigations to determine how this incident fits into the familiar pattern of a police report… Yet behind this lies a truth we stubbornly refuse to confront: the issue is not merely another accident involving an electric bicycle. It reflects our entire philosophy regarding roads, safety, and life.
BY CHRISTINA PELEKANOU
What we fail to understand is that we often repeat ourselves. The same old conversation. “We lack infrastructure,” “We lack road awareness,” “Why do we need electric bicycles?”
Across Europe, people ride electric bicycles and more. From America to Asia… but they have a level of organization. In the Netherlands and Denmark, there are laws and regulations. There are serious bicycle lanes, lights, signage, rules. The car driver respects and fears disturbing the cyclist, not the other way around. In Germany, Austria, Paris, Switzerland, it is a means of transportation for everyone, not just for delivery workers. Delivery workers use them in the USA too, but there are road safety rules in place. There is no country where electric bicycles, scooters, or e-scooters are no longer used.
The difference between all these countries and Cyprus and Greece is that we lack road awareness, there are no infrastructures, we do not have proper legislation, and ultimately we lack a road culture. It is not the means of transportation that is at fault but how we use it and do not underestimate it. Are there bicycle lanes? Yes, but not everywhere. Is there road awareness? Sidewalks? If there are bicycle lanes, by the end of the day they are interrupted by parked cars, outdoor tables, or simply do not lead anywhere. Unfortunately, we have not learned road awareness; we have not learned to share the road; the cyclist is considered inferior to pass beside us while the driver feels that the road belongs to him with his luxury car.
Electric bicycles suddenly appeared on the streets of Cyprus with unclear regulations, regarding helmets, lights, signage, without checks. We simply see them circulating on every corner of the street, just as scooters appeared and are left on sidewalks. Electric bicycles and scooters are alternative modes of transportation and represent a step forward for modern cities that love the environment and want less pollution and less traffic.
However, in Cyprus, we are still not ready and I do not know if we will ever be. Because there are neither clear traffic lanes nor lighting nor signage nor helmets nor speed limits and above all no road awareness.
And let us not rush to blame or criticize delivery workers who work hard to make a living. This does not mean they are without responsibility—they too have an obligation to adhere to the Highway Code and drive safely. We drivers also bear responsibility, in how we move about, how much we respect those most vulnerable on the road, and whether we give space—literally and metaphorically—to those who share the asphalt with us.
