Limassol municipality confirmed it will activate its long-awaited smart-parking system during the first week of July, covering some 2 500 on-street and off-street spaces in the city centre. Sensors embedded in the asphalt relay real-time occupancy to a mobile app that lets drivers reserve bays and pay digitally—eliminating paper tickets and queues at parking meters. The €5.17 million contract, awarded last year to Blue Sun Automation, is one of the largest urban-mobility upgrades under Cyprus’ ‘Smart Cyprus’ programme and is co-financed by EU cohesion funds. Installation crews have already retro-fitted the Enaerios and Limassol-Pier car parks with barrier-free entry systems and automatic licence-plate readers to speed throughput. For employers the benefits are two-fold: reduced “parking-hunt” time for staff and visiting clients, and the option to bulk-purchase digital credits that can be allocated via the app—useful for companies with rotating field teams. The municipality is still finalising tariffs but expects a base rate of €1 per hour, capped at €15 daily, with resident discounts under discussion. Limassol joins Latsia-Geri and Larnaca in rolling out sensor-based parking; together, the three schemes signal a shift toward demand-responsive pricing aimed at cutting inner-city congestion and emissions. Transport consultants predict the model will be replicated in tourist hotspots such as Paphos, potentially changing how rental-car fleets and hotel shuttle operators manage vehicle logistics.
Source: Cyprus Mail
