PRESS RELEASE 20/2015 |
On Tuesday 5 May 2015, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades officially inaugurated the Cyta Footbridge in Limassol.
The landmark project for the town, by architect Margarita Danou, was financed entirely by Cyta in the context of its social contribution in the form of infrastructure projects related to road safety.
It was not by chance that Cyta, which is particularly sensitive to road safety issues, chose to carry out the inauguration on this particular date, since it coincided with UN Global Road Safety Week (4-10 May). It is worth noting that this year’s week is dedicated to child road safety. Children from Limassol’s 2nd Primary School took part in the inauguration, at which they were informed by the Traffic Police about how to cross busy roads safely, and their presence lent a special note to the event.
The inauguration ceremony was addressed by the Minister of Finance, Harris Georgiades, the Mayor of Limassol, Andreas Christou, and the Chairman of Cyta, Christos Patsalides.
The event was also attended by the Deputy CEO of Cyta, Michalis Achilleos, members of Cyta’s Board of Directors, Limassol town councillors, the Limassol Divisional Police Commander, local authorities and those directly involved in the project.
In his address, the Minister of Finance congratulated Cyta on its action, stressing that, thanks to this project, the Limassol beachfront has been upgraded and linked to the town centre. He also added: “In recent years, due to its importance to tourism and the significant presence of foreign companies in the financial services and shipping sectors, Limassol has become the driving force behind our joint efforts to restart and grow the Cyprus economy”.
For his part, the Mayor of Limassol said that the project could not have been realised without funding from a socially sensitive and reliable organisation like Cyta. It is a valuable project for the town, he said, since it links the beach to one of the most notable public projects, the Fitidio Sports Centre (GSO), offering safe passage to pedestrians and a different view of the seafront road and the Limassol beachfront.
In his address, the Chairman of Cyta recalled how, in 2010, the organisation had responded positively to the Municipality’s call for funding of the project “… which offers a valuable change to the town’s urban topography, a change that will protect lives, which is priceless and makes us proud to have contributed to it. On a seafront full of life and energy, in a changing town, the Cyta footbridge tangibly supports the efforts aimed at greater road safety and, at the same time, adds a special architectural touch".
It is worth noting that the Cyta Footbridge was one of ten projects selected by the Cyprus Architects Association to represent Cyprus in the European competition for the MiesVanDerRoheAward.
Public Relations
Cyta Communication Department
6 May 2015