Government Unveils €493 Million Plan To Ease Limassol Traffic

Transport, Communications and Works Minister Alexis Vafeadis is set to meet mayors from the greater Limassol area on Thursday to discuss a €493 million pipeline of road and transport projects aimed at easing traffic congestion across the city.

Meeting To Focus On Traffic Priorities

The meeting, to be held at the Cultural Centre of Agios Athanasios, will focus on identifying projects that should be prioritised to improve traffic flow across the Limassol district. According to government sources, the proposals are divided into short-term measures that can be implemented more quickly and longer-term infrastructure projects that require additional planning and investment.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

€493 Million Programme

The proposed programme includes road and urban planning projects with a combined estimated value of €493 million. Among the largest are the €80 million Limassol–Saittas Motorway (Phase A2), the €60 million Ypsonas–Polemidia section of the Northern Bypass, the €37 million Northern Bypass section linking Agia Fyla, Mesa Geitonia and Agios Athanasios, the €30 million widening of Agios Athanasios Avenue, including sections of Kolonakiou and G. Digeni avenues, and the €24 million Second Parallel Road connecting Germasogeia and Agios Athanasios via Vythkion Avenue.

Short-Term Measures Under Way

Several projects are already under way or approaching the tender stage, including the roundabout at the junction of Agios Athanasios and Anikodomiseos, the new motorway exit serving Limassol Port and improvements to the AHK exit. The ministry also plans targeted interventions at key junctions, additional roundabouts and the rollout of a €3 million Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system across 50 signalised intersections.

Longer-Term Infrastructure Plans

The programme also includes additional sections of the Northern Bypass, the North Parallel Road between Ypsonas and Polemidia, the Third Parallel Road, the upgrade of the A1 motorway to six lanes between Parekklisia and the Germasogeia roundabout, the construction of a third-level connection between G. Kranidiotis Avenue (B8) and N.D. Pattichis Avenue, and Phase B of the Germasogeia–Akrunta–Dierona–Arakapas road. Several of these projects remain at the planning or study stage.

Municipalities Invited To Submit Proposals

During the meeting, Mr. Vafeadis is expected to invite municipalities to submit additional proposals as part of a broader transport strategy for the Limassol district. The discussions are expected to help determine which projects will move forward first as the government finalises the next phase of the city’s infrastructure programme.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

Retail’s AI Push Faces A Cybersecurity And Regulatory Reality Check

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 19, 2026

Artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic priority for retailers, with 80% of retail leaders planning to increase investment in the technology, according to EY’s latest CEO Outlook Survey. However, growing concerns over cybersecurity, customer privacy and regulation could complicate adoption across an industry already facing inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and changing consumer expectations.

Confidence In AI Comes With Risks

The survey found that 80% of retail leaders are confident in their ability to expand the responsible use of AI and customer data. Retailers are increasingly applying the technology to demand forecasting, inventory management, customer service and personalised marketing, seeking to improve efficiency and respond more quickly to market changes.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Yet adoption brings new vulnerabilities. EY found that 24% of retail leaders identified cybersecurity and data privacy as a leading business risk for the year ahead. Retailers manage sensitive customer information, payment systems and complex supply chains, making effective security and governance essential as AI becomes more deeply embedded in their operations.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 highlights the wider challenge: 87% of organisations reported rising cyber risks linked to AI vulnerabilities, while 94% expected malicious AI to have a significant impact on cybersecurity in 2026.

Regulation Will Shape AI Adoption

Regulatory frameworks are also influencing how quickly retailers can expand their use of AI. The European Union’s AI Act, China’s state-led governance model and measures introduced by individual US states are shaping the rules around the technology.

For retailers, compliance is becoming a strategic consideration, particularly for customer-facing applications that use personal data to personalise offers, automate interactions or analyse consumer behaviour. Regulatory missteps could carry significant costs in a sector where customer trust is critical.

EY Outlines Four Possible Futures

EY recommends that retailers plan for multiple outcomes rather than assume the current investment boom will continue uninterrupted. Its analysis draws on a four-scenario framework developed by Jim Dator of the University of Hawaii.

One scenario envisages constrained AI adoption as economic pressures, regulation, cyberattacks, legacy systems and poor data quality limit progress. Retailers in this environment may prioritise lower-risk back-office applications, such as finance, procurement, inventory and logistics, while customer-facing tools face resistance.

A second scenario anticipates continued growth, with sustained investment and widespread adoption. A third envisages deeper economic and social transformation as technology reshapes business operations. The fourth considers systemic breakdown, in which a small number of technology platforms control access to AI models and charge premium prices, potentially making advanced capabilities less accessible even to large retailers.

Governance Will Determine Competitive Advantage

EY’s findings suggest that investment alone will not determine which retailers benefit most from AI. Companies will also need robust cybersecurity, effective governance and strategies that can adapt to different economic, technological and regulatory conditions.

For a sector operating on tight margins, the challenge is to turn AI investment into lasting business value while managing the risks that come with greater dependence on the technology.

Breaking news