Daily life has become increasingly difficult for road users across Paphos city and its suburbs as traffic congestion reaches levels previously unseen in the district.
Authorities now acknowledge the problem extends beyond the tourist season or holidays and has become a permanent fixture, pushing traffic management to the top of the agenda for 2026.
Police, the municipal authority and the Traffic Studies Authority are focusing more closely on the issue after daily scenes of gridlock on most main roads and almost daily serious or minor accidents.
Whilst Paphos still falls short of the congestion Nicosia and Limassol residents experience, the deterioration has sparked concern over a problem that until recently troubled neither authorities nor the public.
Population growth and increased commercial activity in Paphos, combined with the negative impact of large-scale renovation work in recent years, have pushed the problem to a worrying degree, authorities acknowledge.
At specific points across the urban road network, the existing infrastructure essentially cannot support the traffic flow despite individual interventions by Traffic Police officers.
The roundabouts at Konia and Paphos Hospital have drawn particular attention, with conditions described as very dangerous. Vehicle flow at both sites makes road collisions very frequent, whilst traffic congestion at the Konia roundabout has reached levels unprecedented for Paphos.
Police crews have been deployed at these key points from early morning every day attempting to ease the situation. Delays, queues and minor accidents have nonetheless become part of daily life.
Serious dysfunction frequently occurs at other points across the city and suburban road network, including the Silos road from Mesogi towards Paphos Hospital and Tassos Papadopoulos Avenue from Viofos towards EAC.
All main roads leading to the commercial centre—including Ellados Avenue, Evagoras Pallikaridis Avenue and Grivas Digenis Avenue—face similar problems.