04.08.2024
On Sunday morning, the Limassol municipal authorities began the demolition of an illegal building erected on the “Epaminondas” municipal plot by the Limassol Passenger Transport Company (EMEL).
Following news reports and a statement from the municipality regarding their intent to take all necessary actions, it was decided to demolish the single-story building, covering approximately 300 square meters, as it was constructed without permits and did not follow legal procedures.
The plot, which previously hosted a public market every Saturday, is municipal property acquired by the Limassol municipality through expropriation, intended for the development of cultural and social infrastructure.
A nearby plot was also expropriated by the Republic of Cyprus for the construction of a bus station as part of the Limassol Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.
After a public tender, the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Works of Cyprus assigned EMEL to provide public passenger transport services in Limassol. However, this does not change the fact that EMEL is a private company with private shareholders and interests.
The municipality emphasized that while they strongly support the development of public transportation and the use of buses in the city, they could not tolerate the illegal use of municipal property, which is intended for cultural and social purposes, by a private company.
As a result, the decision was made to immediately demolish the illegal structures and restore the plot to its original state, allowing for future cultural and social projects to be developed on the site.
