Paphos is increasingly gridlocked: the transport situation is getting out of control

Getting around Paphos and its surrounding areas has become noticeably more difficult. What just a few years ago was considered a rare inconvenience has today become part of everyday reality: traffic jams occur daily and increasingly affect the city’s pace of life.

Municipal and state authorities acknowledge that the problem is no longer linked exclusively to the tourist season or holiday periods. The road network is operating at the limit of its capacity year-round. This is confirmed by regular congestion on key arteries and a rise in road accidents — from minor collisions to serious crashes. It is no coincidence that traffic organization has been included among the priority tasks for 2026.

Although Paphos still lags behind Nicosia and Limassol in terms of traffic load, the speed at which the situation is deteriorating is alarming. Authorities point to several reasons at once: population growth, active business development, and prolonged roadworks in recent years that have significantly altered traffic flows.

In a number of areas, the existing infrastructure can no longer cope with the volume of vehicles. Even the constant presence of traffic police and manual traffic control provide only temporary relief without addressing the root of the problem.

The most tense situation is observed at roundabouts in the Konia area and near Paphos General Hospital. These sections are considered among the most dangerous: heavy traffic here regularly leads to accidents, while congestion — especially in Konia — has become unprecedented for the city.

Police officers are on duty at key intersections from early morning, yet queues, delays and minor accidents are gradually becoming a familiar background for drivers. Similar problems are also recorded in other directions — on the Sillos Road from Mesogi to the hospital, on Tassos Papadopoulos Avenue towards the EAC, as well as on access roads to the shopping centre via Ellados, Pallikaridis and Griva Digeni avenues.

The authorities openly admit: without comprehensive solutions — revising traffic schemes and modernising road infrastructure — the transport situation in Paphos will continue to deteriorate.