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Rules issued for car imports from UK post-Brexit | Cyprus Mail

The road transport department announced on Tuesday the rules concerning the importation of vehicles from the UK following its EU exit.

According to the department, an M1 category vehicle – passenger car with up to eight seats not including the driver – can be registered in Cyprus provided it is up to five-years-old on the date of arrival, counting from the date it had been registered new in any country.

This does not apply to M1 vehicles already transported or imported to Cyprus from the UK, but not yet registered, or will be loaded for shipping to the Republic by Monday, February 15.

These vehicles can be registered whenever, even if its age exceeds five years.

The department said to register, an M1 vehicle must be accompanied by the original registration certificate (V5c) from the UK, a valid Cypriot MOT, an EU Whole Vehicle Type-Approval (Wvta) or Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) in Cyprus.

A UK registration certificate issued by the end of last year constitutes adequate proof that the vehicle has Wvta, provided it bears the Wvta indication. The indication on the V5c is found at point K – Type of approval number – and is in the form of e.g e4*2007/46*0186*11.

If there is no such indication, to register the vehicle, it must receive the SVA in Cyprus.

Vehicles in the M2 and M3 categories (buses) and N1, N2, and N3 cargo transporters (vans, twin cabs, trucks) are registered irrespective of age, provided they have certification proving their emissions comply with EU standards on the date the vehicle was registered in any country for the first time and they are equipped with ABS.

The UK registration certificate issued by the end of the year is again considered adequate proof as concerns emissions provided the engine is the one stated in the document. If it is a different engine, the department wants a certificate that its emissions comply with the respective EU standards.

Category L vehicles – mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles, and quad bikes – will be registered irrespective of age, provided they are accompanied by the European certificate of conformity in force on the date of its first registration. The department also accepts a copy of the certificate issued by the manufacturer or their representative.

The department also accepts the UK registration certificate issued by the end of the year, which is considered adequate proof that the vehicle has Wvta, provided the document bears the approval of the type of vehicle.

Source: Rules issued for car imports from UK post-Brexit | Cyprus Mail

Rules issued for car imports from UK post-Brexit | Cyprus Mail Read More »

Fixed airport taxi fares from March 1 | Cyprus Mail

ΕΠ' ΑΟΡΙΣΤΟΝ ΑΠΕΡΓΙΑ ΟΔΗΓΟΙ ΤΑΞΙ ΣΤΟ ΑΕΡΟΔΡΟΜΙΟ ΛΑΡΝΑΚΑΣ

The transport ministry has set fixed fares for taxis travelling to and from the airports, starting on March 1.

The fares include urban and rural taxi services.

In a written statement on Friday, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos called on taxi drivers to implement the newly set fares “as one of the steps taken to improve the taxi transport sector in Cyprus”.

The decision aimed to solve a longstanding problem mainly concerning the appropriate information of visitors, tourists and others who use the service.

“The establishment of fixed fares is expected to give credibility to taxi transport thus improving professionalism and increase passenger traffic,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry no driver is allowed to charge lower or higher than those rates.

  Taxis carrying up to 4 passengers Taxis carrying 5 – 6  

 

passengers

FromToDay PriceNight PriceDay PriceNight Price
(06.00 – 20.30)(20.30 – 06.00)(06.00 – 20.30)(20.30 – 06.00)
Larnaca AirportNicosia€ 45€ 50€ 60€ 65
Limassol€ 50€ 60€ 65€ 80
Larnaca€ 15€ 20€ 20€ 25
Protaras€ 55€ 65€ 70€ 85
Ayia Napa€ 50€ 60€ 65€ 80
Pissouri€ 80€ 95€ 105€ 125
Paphos, Peyia€ 100€ 120€ 130€ 155
Polis, Argaka, Pomos€ 130€ 150€ 170€ 195
Troodos Area€ 85€ 100€ 110€ 130
Pyrgos Tyllirias€ 160€ 190€ 210€ 245
Paphos AirportNicosia€ 110€ 130€ 145€ 170
Limassol€ 50€ 60€ 65€ 80
Larnaca€ 100€ 120€ 130€ 155
Famagusta Area€ 130€ 150€ 170€ 195
Paphos, Peyia€ 20€ 25€ 25€ 35
Polis, Argakas, Pomos€ 45€ 50€ 60€ 65
Troodos Area€ 55€ 65€ 70€ 85
Pyrgos Tyllirias€ 75€ 85€ 95€ 110

The above fixed fares include the cost of luggage carriage as well as the VAT. Fixed fares also apply on public holidays.

Source: Fixed airport taxi fares from March 1 | Cyprus Mail

Fixed airport taxi fares from March 1 | Cyprus Mail Read More »

Pavement bandits show little sign of letting go | Cyprus Mail

Last month saw massive hikes in fines for illegal parking, but was that really enough of an answer?

Cyprus is famed for being overstuffed with civil servants, but there is one type of public officer – the traffic warden – which is rarely sighted in the wild and in…

Read full article, click link below.

Source: Pavement bandits show little sign of letting go | Cyprus Mail

Pavement bandits show little sign of letting go | Cyprus Mail Read More »

Requests to cancel extrajudicial traffic fines will be rejected, AG’s office says | Cyprus Mail

The legal service said on Wednesday that all requests to cancel out extrajudicial traffic fines which became steeper and tougher on October 1, will not be accepted if such requests are outside the framework of the relevant legislation.

“Therefore, all extrajudicial fines should either be paid within the time limit provided by law or, if the complainant so wishes, be challenged before the court, whenever criminal proceedings are instituted for non-payment,” the legal service said in an announcement.

“In exceptional cases, if the complainants thinks that there is an obvious formal error in the issuance of the extrajudicial fine, they can also submit their complaint to the authorities, who, after evaluating it, will refer to the Attorney-general.

The announcement, however, specified that the submission of a request to the competent authorities does not cancel the deadline provided by the legislation for the payment of the fine.

Source: Requests to cancel extrajudicial traffic fines will be rejected, AG’s office says | Cyprus Mail

Requests to cancel extrajudicial traffic fines will be rejected, AG’s office says | Cyprus Mail Read More »

Driver fined €1,000 for speeding and not having car tax | Cyprus Mail

A 23-year-old man was fined €1,000 and had his licence suspended after he was found speeding during early morning hours on Wednesday.

Limassol district court fined the motorist €900 for speeding and an additional €100 for driving without car tax.

He also his driving licence suspended for a month.

Police arrested the driver a few minutes after midnight on Tuesday on Amathountas Avenue in Limassol. He was driving at 125 km/h on a street with a limit of 50 km/h.

Source: Driver fined €1,000 for speeding and not having car tax | Cyprus Mail

Driver fined €1,000 for speeding and not having car tax | Cyprus Mail Read More »

Slight decrease in traffic fines after charges go up | Cyprus Mail

Police booked 1,792 drivers for traffic offences during the first weekend since fines were increased, head of Nicosia traffic police Yiannakis Georgiou told the Cyprus Mail.

“There was a slight decrease in bookings, and we hope it continues,” Georgiou said.

The fines were issued between 6am on Saturday to midnight on Sunday, with 602 violations reported on the highways.

Since the increase on fines on Thursday, police issued a total of 2,363 fines, out of which 2,129 concerned violations that belonged to the revised fines.

“The main traffic violation was speed,” said Georgiou, with 1,054 of the fines issued in the last four days concerned with it.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility,” police said in a written announcement on Monday, and asked for the “compliance of all drivers to the traffic code”.

Police said they fined 79 people driving under the influence of alcohol since Thursday, 75 using mobile phones while driving, 87 not wearing a seat belt and 11 motorcyclists who did not wear a helmet. Another 28 drivers were booked for running the red light.

A total of 234 fines were issued against illegal parking, of which 104 concerned illegal parking on sidewalks and 23 concerned illegal parking in disability spaces.

Concerning lack of documents, police booked 329 drivers who did not have a valid road tax, 111 for driving vehicles without road tax and another 24 for driving without insurance. Police also fined 16 drivers for driving vehicles declared immobilised, while five drivers were fined who did not have a valid driving license.

According to the new fine increases, drivers failing to wear a seat belt will be fined €150 and €300 in case of a second offence within three years.

The fine for not wearing a helmet rose from €85 to €200 and then €300 for a second violation.

Using a mobile phone while at the wheel increased to €150, instead of the previous €85, with the fine potentially rising to €300 in case of a second violation within three years.

The fine for parking in a spot reserved for the disabled will rise from €85 to €300, as will the one for drivers who run a red light.

All the revised penalties have been posted on the website www.roadsafetycyprus.gov.cy.

Source: Slight decrease in traffic fines after charges go up | Cyprus Mail

Slight decrease in traffic fines after charges go up | Cyprus Mail Read More »

New traffic fines fail to intimidate drivers, no fall in violations in first 24 hours | Cyprus Mail

More than 600 traffic offences were recorded in the first 24 hours after heftier fines came into force on Thursday, the head of Nicosia traffic police, Yiannakis Georgiou told the Cyprus Mail.

On Thursday, the first day the new penalties came into effect, there were 634 violations islandwide, Georgiou said on Friday.

“This means that drivers weren’t affected by the heavier fines. They just don’t care,” he said.

According to the traffic police head, the number of violations recorded on Thursday was around the usual number. Police usually book 500-700 drivers for traffic violations daily.

“The public must realise that things are serious and start respecting the traffic law and think about themselves and stop putting the life of others in danger,” Georgiou added.

Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis said on Friday that the new fines would bring results after a reasonable amount of time, if not immediately.

She also said that high penalties aim at reducing the number of road deaths and injuries and were not an end in themselves.

“We want to promote the cultivation of traffic awareness from a young age and unfortunately the punishments are part of the whole effort, although not an end in itself,” she said after a meeting with Cyprus worker’s confederation SEK.

In 2019, there were 48 deaths from fatal traffic accidents, while the country recorded 67 deaths per million inhabitants, according to recent data from Eurostat. This is higher than the EU average of 51 deaths per million.

As of Thursday, drivers failing to wear a seat belt will have to pay a €150 fine and €300 in case of a second offence within three years.

The fine for not wearing a helmet rises from the current €85 to €200 and then €300 for a second violation.

Using a mobile phone while at the wheel will now cost drivers €150, instead of the current €85, with the fine potentially rising to €300 in case of a second violation within three years.

The fine for parking in a spot reserved for the disabled will rise from €85 to €300, as will the one for drivers who run a red light.

All the revised penalties have been posted on the website www.roadsafetycyprus.gov.cy.

Source: New traffic fines fail to intimidate drivers, no fall in violations in first 24 hours | Cyprus Mail

New traffic fines fail to intimidate drivers, no fall in violations in first 24 hours | Cyprus Mail Read More »

Hefty new fines from Thursday for driving violations | Cyprus Mail

From Thursday, fines for motorcyclists not wearing a crash helmet will more than double to €200, while those not wearing a seat belt will have to fork out €150.

The increased fines are part of a raft of tough new measures for traffic violations which cover speeding, drink-driving, reckless driving, failing to wear a helmet or a seat belt, and cell phone use while driving.

The changes are part of an ongoing effort aimed at limiting Cyprus’ high number of road deaths and serious injuries. At 67 deaths per 1 million inhabitants, the island has more road deaths per one million inhabitants than the EU average of 51.

“We hope that the increased penalties for traffic violations will help improve the safety on our roads and, at the same time, we expect full cooperation from drivers,” a police statement released on Tuesday said.

“Only this way can we drastically reduce road accidents and the consequent loss of lives on our roads.”

For some violations, the new penalties are extremely severe. For example, drivers failing to wear a seat belt will have to pay a €150 fine, which will be raised to €300 if there is a second offence within three years.

The fine for not wearing a helmet will rise from the current €85 to €200 and then €300 for a second violation.

Using a mobile phone while at the wheel will now cost drivers €150, instead of the current €85, with the fine potentially rising to €300 in case of a second violation within three years.

The fine for parking in a spot reserved for the disabled will rise from €85 to €300, as will the one for drivers who run a red light.

All the revised sentences have been posted on the website www.roadsafetycyprus.gov.cy.

Source: Hefty new fines from Thursday for driving violations | Cyprus Mail

Hefty new fines from Thursday for driving violations | Cyprus Mail Read More »

THE TRAFFIC POLICE TO HAVE NEW ‘WEAPONS’ TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS

Filenews 26 September 2020 – byMichalis Hatzivasilis

In addition to the increased penalties coming on 1 October, Traffic will have two more weapons at its disposal to track down illegal drivers on the roads in an effort to reduce accidents.

In the next few days it will receive ten new patrol cars with radar installed to detect speed offences, while in the control of drivers on motorways will be thrown all five conventional vehicles at the disposal of the Traffic Police. The advantage of the 10 patrol cars that will be given to the members of the Traffic Police is that they will be able to detect speed offences on the go. So far, radar checks have been carried out by a parked vehicle or by a police officer holding it in his hand. Now the new radars will allow traffic officers to carry out speed checks while they themselves are moving on motorways. This will give Traffic an advantage to surprise drivers who do not expect control from a police car that is either in front of them, behind them, or even at their side.

Until now, drivers knew that at certain points on motorways they were “setting up” radars so when they approached they lowered speed and as soon as they passed the point or saw that there was no police car they continued to breach the speed limit. It is noted that all 10 patrol cars with radar installed will be given for patrol on major roads and not for cities.

As far as conventional vehicles are concerned, the Traffic Department currently has five which it uses on major roads. The advantage of these vehicles is that they have no badges, no beacons but sirens and so are not perceived by drivers to comply proactively. The officers who staff them will wear uniform so that the drivers at the check know that they are Police.

Meanwhile, Traffic is starting from next Monday a campaign to control drivers in cities and in general in residential areas, after it has been found that 84% of accidents occur in urban areas and 64% in general in residential areas. The controls will mainly cover speed, safety belts and a mobile phone while driving.

THE TRAFFIC POLICE TO HAVE NEW ‘WEAPONS’ TO REDUCE ACCIDENTS Read More »

TALA COMMUNITY NEWS: CHANGES AFOOT RE LICENSING, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE

Filenews 12 September 2020 – by Vasos Vassiliou

Thousands of applicants to obtain a normal vehicle saloon driving licence will have to go through ten compulsory driving lessons, while applicants to obtain a normal motorcycle driving licence will have to pass up to 17 courses paying hundreds of euros each. Approximately 25,000 student licences are issued each year for all types of vehicles.

Those who ride a motorcycle, even for 40-50 years, will be surprised, since at some stage the student driving licence will cease to be valid and will be replaced by a normal licence, after the candidates pass practical courses of an approved driving school. Many of the drivers have never been in the process of securing a normal motorcycle driving licence, which they will be obliged to do in the future.

The issue of compulsory courses was discussed yesterday before the parliamentary Transport Committee and the Deputy Director of the Department of Road Transport, Giannis Nikolaidis, said that the issue was discussed with the associations of driving schools involved and common positions emerged which are reflected in the bill under discussion.

Referring to category B, i.e. the category in which saloon vehicles are classified, Mr Nikolaidis said that instead of five courses that were the original intention, after consultation they increased to ten. When someone is rejected in the examination that will be submitted, they will be required to attend another five courses.

With regard to motorcycles, Mr Nikolaidis said that compulsory training (lessons) would be introduced, which currently applies only to large-scale motorcycles over 600cc (A3). There are no courses for motorcycles in the category of 125cc or even in the category up to 400cc, said Mr Nikolaidis who clarified that interested parties must first obtain a 125cc licence, then a licence with which they can ride a 400cc motorcycle and finally a licence without a cubic restriction.

Special reference was made to delivery men who drive on a student licence, which is considered dangerous. There was a feeling in the bystander position that someone who has been driving on a student licence even for several years doesn’t know how to drive, so he has to go through classes.

It is noted that every year the state collects hundreds of thousands of euros from the issue and/or renewal of marketing authorisations. Many of the drivers because they do not intend to switch to a higher category have never attempted to obtain a normal licence, since they did not need them.

Source: TALA COMMUNITY NEWS: CHANGES AFOOT RE LICENSING, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE

TALA COMMUNITY NEWS: CHANGES AFOOT RE LICENSING, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE Read More »