Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Beware of crap roadworks and hazardous foreign objects in road entrance to Akyuk Sokak

Just driven over a metal spike half buried in concrete in the entrance to "AKYUZ Sokak", Lapta (the road opposite Saryduna Bay turn off, next to Garage). It shredded my front Tyre which I am pretty p%^&*@:d off about. The entrance to the road was dug up a few days ago and left with a great big ditch. Today I guess they have filled it with concrete, left two metal pegs either side and another half buried, three quarters the way across which I managed to hit! What were they thinking? It is just downright dangerous and an accident waiting to happen. The entrance is also dimly light which doesn't help. Why didn't they either close the road until it was finished properly or just do the job properly in the first place. They are a bunch of incompetent idiots.

It seems that they had taped off the entrance using the pegs either side, but this had been pulled off. How do I know, because they are Trye tracks in the concrete. Obviously somebody couldn't wait for the concrete to set! Why there is a another peg in the entrance for the life of me I do not know. Is it worthwhile complaining to the Muhter, probably not. It's just another instance of poor workmanship in the TRNC and the inability to finish a job and do it properly.

An article in Saturday's Cyprus Today urged everyone who experiences badly signed/dangerous roadworks to report them to the Police immediately, and they will prosecute, as there have been several accidents already.

You should then be able to claim for your loss from the contractors - the Police might be able to help with this.

Please do it straight away, and save someone else coming foul of the problem!

Thanks for the advice Keith. I have just telephoned them but no one on duty could understand me. So I will visit the police station tomorrow, soon as I get my tyre fixed.

I hope that you get on OK!

It might be an idea to take 'photos as evidence...

My husband had to go to Lapta police station recently and whilst they can often speak some English they asked him to return later the same day when they had arranged for the gentleman who owns Evergreen Gardens in Lapta to be there as he acts as an unofficial interpreter. It may therefore be worth paying him a visit before you go.

300TL lighter, after 2 new front tyres I went to Lapta Polis Station. I gave them a statement that I had prepared (with a Turkish translation from the web, which they found amusing. I guess it didn't translate very well!) plus photos as evidence. They took my details and suggested that I contact a Lawyer and show him/her the statement and for the Lawyer to contact the Police.

Just wondering if it is going to be worth it, will it end up costing me?

Any one know a good Lawyer in Girne?

So... Do I take it that that were not interested in your report of dangerous road works? - and the reason to have a Lawyer was to make a claim for your loss?

It would seem that the instruction 'from above' hasn't filtered down yet..

I can't see that it would make economic sense for you to employ a Lawyer for a 300TL claim.

You must be a monster optimist if you think anyone is going to compensate you for your tyres. Of course you should bne, but this is Cyprus. No-one is to blame, no-one is going to put their hand up and of course as you are a foreigner it must be your fault. Forget the lawyers and just pour yourself a beer and chill. Just be glad it wasn't all four tyres.
It's all part of the price for living in a third world mad house. I think the general attitude is why do things properly when you can get away with doing them badly. No-one really cares. See you for a b eer before too long.

The reverse of thıs coın ıs that in the UK there are Site Agents etc. working for contractors who are convinced that the general public saves up its cars needing work to tyres, suspension etc. until road works start and they can drive over them and claim for damage! Such is the claims conscious mentallity of the British! All road works have to comply with strict legislation regarding signing in lighting, and failure to comply is a good evidence for a claimant.

As far as I know the relevant legislation for signing and lighting roadworks was transferred to the constitution of the RoC together with other UK legislation in 1960 and subsequently to th TRNC post 1974! The problem is that whereas in the UK the legislation has been revised, updated and replaced to take account of developments in roads, cars etc and increase in traffic , in Cyprus it probably has not been touched since 1974, or indeed possibly 1960! Indeed in the TRNC there was no particularly need for change since there was little development and traffic before 2004, Since 2004 and the influx of expats,i In common with the rest of the infrastructure the laws simply have not kept up with the demands for housing and associated necessities , particularly increased traffic. I rather doubt if any lawyers are familiar with the provisions of these laws or experienced in making claims under them.

Those of us who came to the TRNC in the good old days simply accepted that this was one of the areas where we simply could not expect things to run as they do in the UK, but considered the quiet roads, lack of traffic and peaceful countryside adequate compensation.
Sadly now we do not even have that

If there is some form of reunification, it will be very interesting to see how these laws have developed in the two part of the Island, and what provisions are made for an Island wide policy on building regulations, planning etc.

It is a long time since I have been able to get to the South). (and even longer since I saw the UK) Has anyone who has been recently noticed what warning and lighting provisions are made for road works there and how they compare with the UK?

Keithcaley wrote:So... Do I take it that that were not interested in your report of dangerous road works? - and the reason to have a Lawyer was to make a claim for your loss?

It would seem that the instruction 'from above' hasn't filtered down yet..

I can't see that it would make economic sense for you to employ a Lawyer for a 300TL claim.

You are correct they were not interested in my report or taking a look at the road to prevent further accidents and the reason to have a Lawyer is to make a claim for my loss.

Yes sadly I don't think I will be pursuing it. Just makes a mockery of the system (what more could I expect?)

You will probably be better of trying to make it more visible in some way to save others from the same fate.

For those who didn't see the piece in Cyprus Today, I've attached it below. I'm sorry about the 'iffy' quality!

The main purpose of my initial respons was to enable the Police to take action in order to prevent any future accidents...

Keithcaley wrote:
The main purpose of my initial respons was to enable the Police to take action in order to prevent any future accidents...

Well they'd need a TARDIS to prevent ones in the past... he he he, couldn't resist.