๐ Who Patrols the Roads?
1. Republic of Cyprus Police Traffic Patrols
The national Cyprus Police operate regular traffic patrols and static checks throughout the island to enforce road rules. They use modern equipment for speed checks and other traffic enforcement.
2. Sovereign Base Area (SBA) Police
Within the British Sovereign Base Areas (e.g., Akrotiri and Dhekelia), the SBA Police carry out similar highway and road patrols.
3. Department of Road Transport (T.O.M) Police Special Constables
This group consists of staff appointed with police powers focused mainly on road checks, vehicle documents and construction-use offences.
4. Municipal Police
Many towns and cities employ municipal police officers to enforce local bylaws, including parking fines and certain traffic offences.
๐ฏ How Enforcement Works
Targeted Monthly Enforcement
Police often focus on a specific type of traffic offence each month as part of their enforcement plan.
๐บ Drink Driving Enforcement
- The legal breath alcohol limit in Cyprus is 22 ยตg per 100 ml of breath โ lower than in the UK.
- Breath tests are carried out using mobile testing devices whose results are used in court.
- If a test result is above the legal limit, you may be detained and either fined or taken to court.
๐ธ Speed & Traffic Cameras
- Cyprus has reinstated a network of fixed traffic cameras at numerous locations across the Republic, often at traffic signals.
- Recent developments focus on new speed enforcement technology and mobile camera systems to better detect speeding in high-risk areas.
๐ Penalties and Tickets
๐ Fixed Penalty Ticketsy Tickets
- Many traffic violations are handled with fixed-penalty fines. Fines are not paid on the spot to the officers and are usually paid online through JCC or through commercial banks and Co-Ops . Banks may charge a small fee.
- Police now use hand-held electronic devices to issue tickets.
- Refusing a ticket at the roadside leads to a court summons instead of paying on the spot.
Points and Court
- Some violations result in penalty points on your licence.
- Accruing enough points can lead to a driving ban or licence revocation.
- Serious offences are typically dealt with in court, not just by a ticket.
- Points stay on a licence for three years.
Foreign Drivers
- A court can fine or even imprison non-Cypriot licence holders for serious offences.
- Cyprus may refuse to recognise a foreign licence that is restricted, suspended or revoked in its issuing country.
๐ฆ Practical Enforcement Trends (Recent Context)
Current enforcement efforts have increased, including:
- Nationwide traffic crackdowns where thousands of violations are recorded in short campaigns (e.g., dozens of speeding, seatbelt, phone-use and drink-driving offences across Cyprus in one week).
- Enhanced patrols and checks on motorways, including lane-use enforcement and higher police presence.
๐ Summary
- Multiple police authorities actively patrol and enforce traffic laws across Cyprus.
- Enforcement includes speed checks, breath tests, on-the-spot fines, and point penalties.
- Serious or repeated offences can lead to court action, bans or licence issues, even for foreign drivers