Third Lane Fails To Ease Traffic At Metehan Crossing

The newspaper reported that the new lane is not kept open continuously and is only activated during periods of heavy traffic. As a result, long vehicle queues—sometimes reaching up to one kilometre—continue to form, particularly in the mornings and afternoons.

Citing an official source, Politis said that on the southern side of the crossing point, staff are not permanently stationed at all booths, although personnel are available and can be deployed when needed. However, flaws in work schedule planning were identified. The source noted that when staff arrive at the designated time, traffic is often light, but within minutes queues exceeding one kilometre develop.

The problem is reported to be especially severe on weekends and public holidays. The situation has been communicated to the relevant authorities and is expected to be reviewed.

The newspaper also included complaints from people using the crossing point, who said congestion is most intense in the morning and after 3:00 pm. Turkish Cypriots, in particular, complained about the length of identity checks and delays. The source responded that detailed checks are not carried out only on Turkish Cypriots, but apply more generally.