The contract for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of the Municipality of Central Corfu and the Diapontian Islands was signed today with the representative of the contractor, Mayor Meropi Ydraiou in the presence of the Deputy Mayor of Technical Services N. Kalogeros. This study is part of the priorities of the municipal authority from the beginning of its term and with its completion, it will be possible for the first time to have a unified spatial, urban, and transport framework in the operation of the city of Corfu.

The Plan, which is also foreseen in the contract to be consulted with productive bodies and citizens, will provide answers in terms of traffic management, with gentle forms of movement and emphasis on public transport, with a vision to gradually turn the city into a “smart” and “green” city in line with existing European directives.

As Mayor Meropi Ydraiou pointed out in her statements, in essence, this Plan, in addition to the traffic study, should be a “Constitution” of operation of the city, for the next 15 years which should be co-signed not only by the municipal authority and the Municipal Council but mainly by the citizens themselves. This is because it is a participatory process that will be implemented with the aim of improving the quality of life of our fellow citizens, after a wide range of consultations. “We are working for a more humane, more environmentally friendly and more humane, greener city, and this effort naturally includes the big issue of traffic regulation both within the city and its suburbs.”

On his part, the representative of the contractor company DENCO who undertook the study, Chrysostomos Ryzomiliotis stood on the long experience of the company in such projects, citing as an example the preparation of a similar project in the Municipality of Larissa which has been implemented for three years with great success. He also stressed that as far as Corfu is concerned, this Plan will present holistic solutions, with a gradual implementation and a 15-year horizon.

What does the study include?

It is essentially a Study of a comprehensive plan for the management and planning of measures and interventions of sustainable urban mobility for the Municipality of Central Corfu & the Diapontian Islands, with a time horizon of 15 years. The total deadline for the completion of the subject of the contract is set at thirteen (13) months, while the plan will contain a strategic and operational part.

The design of Sustainable Mobility will refer to all components of the urban transport system, with main axes:

• Existence of a unified Spatial, Urban, and Transport planning (harmonization of land uses provided in the GIS with the type of transport infrastructure, prioritization of road network, hierarchical development of infrastructure, etc.).

• Traffic management (road safety, public transport, smart traffic, on-street, and off-street parking).

• Mild modes of movement (infrastructure for gentle modes of travel, settings for gentle commutes).

• Technologies and measures for the environment (technologies for emission reduction in vehicles and fuels, controlled parking, environmental pricing IX, etc.)

Finally, it is noted that in relevant statements, the Mayor thanked for the work and hard work so far both the service agents and the special advisor Mr. Angelos Koulouris and the Deputy Mayor of Technical Services as she said they worked methodically to make all the time consuming and necessary procedures in order to reach the signing of the relevant contract today.