‘DON’T LET OUR LOSS BE IN VAIN’
THE family of a British man killed in a hit-and-run incident in April have travelled to North Cyprus, and expressed their disappointment at the lack of progress towards making the country’s roads safer.
David Shepherd, 60, who lived in Lapta but was originally from Edgware, London, was hit by a vehicle while walking along the main road between Girne and Güzelyurt, near Karşıyaka, at around 8pm on April 3 this year.
The driver of the vehicle was later caught and arrested. Police said at the time that he had been driving carelessly and was drunk. The suspect was released on conditional bail pending trial.
Mr Shepherd’s sister Debbie Wolstencroft told Cyprus Today on Thursday about her brother, and her thoughts on road safety in North Cyprus.
“We have come to the TRNC to bring our brother’s ashes back to the country he loved,” she said.
“We also have a number of legal issues we need to deal with. We have attempted to contact the Public Works and Transport Minister [Resmiye Canaltay] to discuss the dangerous state of the main road and paving and the non-existent lighting where the accident occurred. We have had no contact at all from the North Cyprus police.
“When we arrived in the TRNC, we felt desperately sad that David was not here to meet us as he usually would. We miss him every day.”
Ms Wolstencroft said that she and Mr Shepherd’s other siblings have visited the site of the accident, saying it made them feel “devastated at the needless loss of our brother”.
“Shortly after the accident we read that the minister [Mrs Canaltay] visited the accident site and promised to make urgent improvements to the lighting,” she continued.
“Six months later there’s no progress. We are also concerned there is still no safe pavement to walk on.
“It would be of some solace to us if the government made safe these black spots for everyone so our brother’s loss is not in vain and no other families suffer the tragic loss we have.
“We are here for another week and would be happy to meet the authorities to show them how dangerous the walk is, particularly in the dark.
“We would urge anyone who saw the accident on April 3, 2021, to come forward . . . As a family we would be devastated if any other family suffered a tragedy like we have.”
In April Mrs Canaltay visited the section of the road where the fatal accident took place, and met with Lapta Mayor Mustafa Aktuğ,
Karşıyaka muhtar Ahmet Pelit, and a Lapta councillor.
According to a statement issued at the time by the Public Works and Transport Ministry, Mrs Canaltay was informed that “many people have lost their lives in the past at the same section of the road” and that she had “instructed the Highways Department and the Traffic Department to take necessary precautions in order to improve road and traffic safety at the relevant section”.
The statement added that “according to the decision taken during the meeting in Karşıyaka, the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Board (Kıb-Tek) will prepare a project and work together with the Highways Department and the Municipality of Lapta to illuminate the 1km section of the Girne-Güzelyurt Road which falls between Lapta and Alsancak”.
Mrs Canaltay was quoted as saying: “People’s demand for the road to be illuminated is legitimate.
People lost their lives here before.
“We have no problem in financing the project for the street lights. We will swiftly implement the project, which is the right of the people of Karşıyaka to demand. I will be personally following the process.”
Cyprus Today made several requests for comment from the Public Works and Transport Ministry about the plan to illuminate the
section of road in question, but had received no response at the time of going to press.