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Police on Monday launched week-long awareness campaign for e-scooter and bicycle users.

The campaign will include increased checks, they said.

“Members of the police will provide information to the public about the risks involved from the non-application of the relevant legislation,” the force said in an announcement.

The campaign will last until Sunday.

Under new regulations that came into force this year, e-scooters are only permitted in designated spaces.

Only those aged 14 and older are allowed to ride an e-scooter and if it allows for another passenger, the second individual should be above the age of 12.

There is a mandatory requirement to use a helmet as well as clothing with fluorescent indicators. At the very least, the e-scooter should have brakes, lights at the back and front, as well as a bell, the transport ministry said.

Additionally, the maximum speed should be at 20km/h. When riding in a square or on the pavement, the speed should not go higher than 10km/h. Priority should always be giving to pedestrians.

Use of an e-scooter in a square or pedestrian area is only permitted if there is an indicative horizontal or vertical signpost, the transport ministry specified.

Municipalities or communities carry out an assessment on the impact on road safety, particularly for pedestrians. If authorities determine it is safe enough to allow e-scooters, signposts will be placed accordingly for both their use and parking.

Published in the government gazette on December 30, the law details e-scooters can be used on roads that have a maximum speed limit of 30km/h, cycling lanes or paths permitted for cyclists and pedestrians alike.

In addition, cyclists now face a €50 spot fine for not wearing a helmet but this can rise to €500 if the issue ends up in court.

Four cyclists and one e-scooter user died last year on the roads, none of whom were wearing helmets.

Source: Checks on bike, e-scooter users to be stepped up | Cyprus Mail

Police on Monday said they issued 744 fines for traffic violations in approximately 48 hours during checks in the government-controlled areas.

More than half concern speeding, one of the main causes for serious and fatal road accidents.

The checks were carried out between the early morning hours on Saturday and 6am on Monday as part of the prevention of road traffic collisions.

Police said the majority of the fines concerned offences which are proven to be the main causes of serious and fatal road traffic collisions. Of these, 400 complaints were made for exceeding the speed limit and 61 complaints for drink driving.

Another 78 fines were issued over vehicles driven without a licence and 25 for driving without the relevant certificates.

There were also 23 people who were fined for failing to use a seat belt in the front and rear seats. In addition, another 157 fines were issued for various other traffic offences.

Moreover, seven vehicles were confiscated in a campaign of the Famagusta traffic police for the prevention of road collisions and traffic offences, conducted between 2pm -12 midnight on Sunday in Ayia Napa.

The vehicles were four cars one moped and two motorcycles which were seized for various traffic offences.

Members of the Famagusta traffic police issued a total of 76 fines, including four for forgery of a driver’s license and use of a fake driver’s license, three for driving with an expired student driver’s license, five for worn tires and two for driving a stationary vehicle.

During the checks, six persons were also found illegally residing on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and were arrested.

Targeted traffic police checks continue on a daily basis, throughout the twenty-four hours, on all the road network throughout the country, police said.

They added that the sole objective is to instill a proper road awareness among all road users and to prevent fatal and serious traffic collisions.

Source: Over 700 traffic fines in 48 hours | Cyprus Mail

Shady dealings have been uncovered and the police have made arrests for driving licences having been issued on the basis of fake residence permits.

The case has led to three arrests so far, all migrants, who were remanded for eight days on Wednesday after they paid backhanders to get their driving licences. They are understood to have been delivery drivers.

The police have in their sights another 17 people who paid for such services, while they are focusing on two people as being the key suspects behind the ring.

The case emerged after a worker from the Limassol citizen service centre reviewed the driving licence applications – which were granted – and found that the accompanying residence permits (MEU2 documents) were forged and falsified.

The first suspect claims that he paid an acquaintance €1,000 who then secured the licence for him within a week.

The second suspect says he went to an office in Limassol and paid €800, again getting the licence within a week.

The third suspect says he went to the same office and paid €750.

All three denied any knowledge as to the details of their seemingly forged residence permits.

So far, investigations are centred on 20 such applications linked to forged documents – of which 16 are tied to the Limassol main office and four to the Agros centre. The cases in question took place between early December and early March.

Daily Phileleftheros reported that police believe two people are the key suspects behind the ring in dealing forged papers. It is understood that driving licences are issued after an official reviews the applications and the details therein should be verified in person. For foreigners and third-country nationals, the residence permit must also be verified.

The case was also confirmed by the police who were quizzed on the matter during a CyBC news programme on Tuesday.

The latest scandal emerged shortly after the Cyprus Mail exposed unscrupulous agents as having bought up migration department appointment slots in bulk and then selling them individually for up to €200.

Source: Three remanded after reportedly paying €1,000 for driving licence | Cyprus Mail

Over 40 per cent of motorcyclists and moped drivers killed on the road in Cyprus in 2021 were not wearing a helmet, a European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) report showed on Wednesday.
At 43 per cent, Cyprus had the second highest rate among the 12 countries that provided data.
However, in Cyprus road deaths of all categories fell by 17 per cent from 2011 (17 deaths) to 2021 (14 deaths).
Among other recommendations, the report calls for an improvement in the enforcement of helmet-wearing, especially in countries where there are low levels of people doing so, such as Greece and Cyprus.
It also recommended the EU and national governments also promote the safety performance of helmets and other protective equipment such as airbag jackets.
The 44th report PIN Flash Report presents the data in the 27 member states of the European Union as well as in Switzerland, Israel, Norway, Serbia and the United Kingdom, regarding the road deaths of motorcyclists and mopeds.
Over the last decade, the report said the number of road deaths of motorcyclists and mopeds in the EU has decreased by 25 per cent, from 5,216 deaths in 2011 to 3,891 in 2021. The majority of those killed were motorcyclists.
The number of all other road deaths fell by 33 per cent over the same period.
Motorcycle user deaths are dropping at a slower rate than moped and other road deaths. Over the past ten years, according to the report, the number of motorcyclist deaths decreased by an average of six per cent per year in the EU24, from 983 in 2011 to 526 in 2021. In Cyprus, it said, the numbers were too small to be statistically significant (three in 2011 and two in 2021).
The report found that 3,891 people died while riding a motorcycle or moped in the EU in 2021, around 90 per cent of whom were men.
Use of a motorcycle helmet is mandatory in all EU countries and, overall, compliance rates are high.
The report also recommended that national governments develop better enforcement of speed limits applying to motorcyclists.
Manager of ETSC’s Road Safety Performance Index programme Jenny Carson said that in recent years motorcyclists have been less of a focus in road safety, adding that “there are several smart and straightforward measures that can be taken to reduce the unacceptable number of deaths every year.”
“We also need to pay close attention to growing trends such as the number of young people, mostly men, now delivering hot food in our cities on motorcycles, working under time pressure on poorly maintained vehicles, while being distracted by app-based tools,” he concluded.

Source: Over 40% of motorcyclists who died on roads did not wear helmets | Cyprus Mail

A law giving the transport minister sweeping powers – such as designating low or zero-emission urban areas and barring certain vehicles from using them – must be passed by year’s end, an official told MPs on Thursday.

Acting permanent secretary of the transport ministry, Yiannis Nicolaides, told legislators that the legislation – which got a first reading in parliament – is among a series of laws Cyprus must enact as part of the European Union’s ‘Fit for 55’ scheme.

It’s part of the legal framework for achieving binding targets relating to sustainable urban mobility.

The reform in question is included in the national Recovery and Resilience plan and should be approved by the end of the year.

By 2030 Cyprus has undertaken the obligation to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 32 per cent, Nicolaides recalled. Road transport accounts for approximately 50 per cent of such emissions, translating into two million tonnes a year.

The ‘Law setting special measures for reducing atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in road transport’ will give the transport minister the power to issue decrees – published in the government gazette – designating specific days and times of day for the transit of vehicles running on conventional fuels (petrol and diesel) within low or zero-emission areas or streets.

The minister can also identify a section, or even a lane, of a road which certain categories of vehicles will be prohibited from using. Further, the minister will assign areas or streets which certain vehicles can use, but only upon payment of a fee to the local authority.

The law speaks of ‘superintendents’ – to be appointed by the transport minister – who will check if vehicles carry a pollution certificate in low or zero-emission areas.

But Nicolaides said pollution checks could also be carried out by infrared cameras. Such cameras generate images of emissions from a vehicle’s exhaust.

Lawmakers expressed reservations, pointing out that a great deal many people won’t be able to comply. They called for an incentives scheme for the purchase of low-emissions vehicles, and asked whether a transitional period would apply once the law has been enacted.

Nicolaides referred MPs to current available schemes for replacing old vehicles. Regarding implementation, he said that the law must be enacted by the end of 2023, although the measures will start being applied as of 2025.

Under the law, in low or zero-emission areas no vehicle can exceed speeds of 25km/hour.

Any person violating the decrees in force at any given time will have committed a criminal offence and will be liable, in the event of conviction, to jail time of up to two years and/or a fine up to €10,000.

Anyone assigning another person to drive a vehicle in a controlled area or street in violation of the decrees, will likewise be liable to the same penalties.

In addition, any person who obstructs or prevents a superintendent or police officer from carrying out their duties, or who does not follow their instructions, is liable to jail time of up to one year and/or a fine not exceeding €5,000.

On-the-spot fines may be issued.

The text of the legislation states that the police, the armed forces, civil defence, the fire department and ambulances will be exempt from the provisions of the ministerial decrees.

Source: Law giving transport minister extensive powers must be enacted this year | Cyprus Mail

The state appears to be in no rush to set up and launch more traffic cameras as 35,000 fines remain unpaid.

Tuesday marked another missed milestone in the timeline according to the contract signed by the company and the state.

It is understood that work is underway for another six traffic cameras – four in Nicosia and two in Limassol – but only two of them are ready to operate. Notably, 16 mobile unit cameras have arrived but not been deployed yet.

Of the 86,350 fines sent out by cameras so far about 40 per cent have not been paid and will therefore end up in court.

There are fears that those 35,000 cases along with the unpaid fines from covid will further clog up the courts. The racked-up fines are the result of just eight operational cameras.

The pilot phase began on October 25, 2021 and was only set to last for three months – with the first phase after that itself only set for six months with the addition of a further 16 mobile units and 20 stationary units.

The second phase was originally set to be completed within a year of the first phase and envisaged a further 66 stationary units.

The transport ministry said back in August that another 20 stationary cameras were to be installed within six months.

As for the covid fines, the Cyprus Mail previously reported in June that between March 28, 2020 and May 31, 2022 a total of 44,344 out of court fines were issued and only 17, 466 – corresponding to 39.4 per cent – have been paid. Another 26,828 fines (60.5 per cent) remain unpaid.

Source: 35,000 traffic camera fines unpaid | Cyprus Mail

Cyclists now face a €50 spot fine for not wearing a helmet but this can rise to €500 if the issue ends up in court.

The police and supporters of the law now being enforced say it will make cycling safer, but critics say it unfairly blames and restricts those using alternative transport.

Jason Senekkis, research assistant at the European University Cyprus, told the Cyprus Mail that the law now means cyclists on paths in parks such as the Grammiko in the capital will be fined for not wearing a helmet.

But police arguing in favour of the law point to the four cyclists and one e-scooter user who died last year, none of whom were wearing helmets.

Senekkis, however, emphasised that four of those incidents saw cars crash into the cyclists with incredible force, while another had fallen from a six-metre height.

Some also argue that placing restrictions on cyclists will further dissuade people from using alternative means of transport to cars.

The regulation further stipulates that not just any helmet will do, as it must comply with the CYS EN 078:2012+A1 standard, explicitly state that it is intended at least for cyclists and be marked with a Declaration of Conformity: CE.

Elsewhere, stricter rules have been enforced for e-scooters, as only those aged 14 and older are allowed to ride them and if it allows for another passenger, the second individual should be above the age of 12.

There is a mandatory requirement to use a helmet as well as clothing with fluorescent indicators. At the very least, the e-scooter should have brakes, lights at the back and front, as well as a bell, the transport ministry said.

Additionally, the maximum speed should be at 20km/h. When riding in a square or pavement, the speed should not go higher than 10km/h. Priority should always be giving to pedestrians.

Use of an e-scooter in a square or pedestrian area is only permitted if there is an indicative horizontal or vertical signpost, the transport ministry specified.

Source: Helmet wearing mandatory for cyclists | Cyprus Mail

The Road Transport Department (TOM) on Wednesday announced the launch of another grant scheme for the purchase of protective motorcycle airbag vests, after its success in 2022.

Those interested can apply for the scheme until March 1 at www.motosafety.gov.cy. The grant will cover a maximum of €500.

TOM also announced that its intention is to run the scheme for 2023 as well. In 2022, more than 1,700 people applied to it to acquire motorcycle airbag vests.

Aside from Cypriot nationals, EU-citizenship holders and third-country nationals with a valid permanent residence permit will also be able to apply to the scheme, provided they are holders of an A, A1 or A2 driving licence, are registered with TOM and have a motorcycle registered in their name.

To apply, people will have to provide their ID, date of birth, vehicle registration number, mobile phone number and email address.

The announcement also added that in case interest is greater than the predetermined number of applications, an electronic lottery will be conducted, and applicants will be notified of preliminary approval via email or text message.

Applicants who receive preliminary approval will be given a period of one month to submit all the supporting documentation for the purchase of the vest, as well as bank details for the transfer of the grant.

Applicants who secure preliminary approval but do not make a purchase or submit the necessary information and supporting documents within the specified timeframes will not receive the grant.

Finally, applicants who already received the grant in 2022 will not be allowed to apply again.

Source: Protective equipment grant scheme for 2023 announced | Cyprus Mail

The cabinet on Thursday approved a bill which, among others, would grant the transport minister far-reaching powers, including designating roads or areas barred to vehicles running on conventional fuels, part of a stated drive to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Drafted by the transport ministry, the bill is titled ‘Designating special measures to reduce atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gas deriving from road transit.”

According to a statement, road transport in Cyprus “is responsible for about 50 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions (mostly CO2) in relation to activities not included in the ETS (Emissions Trading System).

“This translates to approximately two million tonnes a year.”

The statement added that the measures to be taken “will help achieve the goals of the ‘National Governance System for the Climate and Energy’ as well as the ‘National Action Plan for the Improvement of Quality of Air in Cyprus’.

“This relates to atmospheric gas emissions, in the framework of the obligations arising from the ‘European Green Deal’ and the package of legislation known as ‘Fit for 55’.”

The bill is a “reform” undertaken to be implemented by the transport ministry, within the framework of the national Recovery and Resilience plan (also known as ‘Cyprus Tomorrow’). To this end, the statement read, two subsidy schemes have already been approved – a scheme subsidising the purchase of electric cars, and another for the withdrawal from circulation of polluting vehicles.

“With these incentives, the granting of positive incentives for reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions from road transport is already underway.”

Once the law is enacted, the transport minister, following consultation with a local authority (municipality) will be able to specify measures, such as: designate areas/roads of low or zero emissions; prohibiting, in certain areas or on roads, or on certain days and times, the circulation of polluting vehicles; and designate a date beyond which the registration of polluting vehicles, for example cars running on diesel, will not be permitted.

Other powers granted to the transport minister will include designating bus lanes, or designating transport-related activities to be carried out exclusively with electric vehicles – for instance item deliveries.

The minister will also set out requirements, via advertisements or other promotional means, relating to vehicles using conventional fuel, as well as “the dissemination of messages promoting alternative means of transit such as walking, cycling and the use of public transit.”

In addition, under the same law, regulation will be issued specifying the violations recorded by traffic cameras and the procedure for out-of-court fines.

Residents of Nicosia have already got a taste of such policies, with the section of Makarios Avenue – from the Landmark Nicosia (formerly the Hilton hotel) to the traffic lights at the Lycavitos police station – open only to one-way traffic.

Last October the lower section of the avenue opened as a ‘shared space’ for pedestrians and authorised vehicles such as buses, taxis and delivery vehicles, in what the municipality hopes will lead to more environmentally friendly use of the road.

The plan is to create emissions-free areas in the capital.

During a discussion in parliament in November, affected shopkeepers complained about the decline in business, urging authorities to rethink the system.

Bureaucrats from the transport ministry responded that the one-way system implemented on that section of the avenue was a commitment made to the European Union, which financed the ‘sustainable mobility’ project. Additionally, every three months Cypriot authorities must report to the EU carbon dioxide measurements taken in the area.

Source: Cabinet approves bill opening way for zero-emissions zones | Cyprus Mail

All roads towards Troodos are now restricted and only open to cars with four-wheel drive or snow chains, the police announced on Friday.

The police cited ice on the roads as the cause for caution.

They emphasised that the public must remain up to date due to the constantly changing weather.

Source: Roads to Troodos only open to four wheel drives, cars with chains | Cyprus Mail

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