The road linking the Baths of Aphrodite and Fontana Amorosa in the Akamas Peninsula is primarily a critical operational route for fire services and other emergency vehicles, not a visitor access road, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment has said, responding to recommendations from the Audit Service on access management at the Akamas National Forest Park.
In an announcement, the Ministry said the issues raised in the Audit Service’s recommendations reflect “real challenges” it has already recognised and is managing.
It argued that safe access to the road is “an essential precondition for the protection of human life, the natural environment and the operational readiness of the state” in the sensitive Akamas Peninsula area, and that visitor management is a secondary concern.
The Ministry said that while controlling private vehicle access is necessary, it is not sufficient on its own to address the road’s technical and practical difficulties. Even under a controlled access regime, it said, a minimum level of technical safety and functionality is required.
Limited intervention sought
The Department of Forests has already submitted a request to the Environment Authority to advance “the minimum necessary improvement of the road” through the prescribed procedures, the Ministry said.
It stressed that the proposal does not constitute a full geometric upgrade, nor the permanent solution envisaged for the organised operation of the Park, but rather “a limited and temporary intervention” aimed at improving safety and ensuring access for emergency vehicles.
Any works carried out will take into account the environmental sensitivity and special characteristics of the area, the Ministry added.
Longer-term plan
The permanent regulation of the road, the Ministry said, is tied to the overall organised operation of the Park, which includes a controlled access regime, a visitor transport system and comprehensive road network regulation, all based on the integrated plan for the Akamas National Forest Park.
The Ministry said it takes the Audit Service’s observations seriously and is continuing to work towards completing the necessary infrastructure and operational organisation of the Park, with the goal of moving from the current transitional situation to “a regulated and sustainable management framework with a reduced environmental footprint.”
The Ministry said it remains committed to the responsible management of Akamas, guided by the protection of the natural environment and public safety.
(information from CNA)