Smart traffic lights are to be installed at 125 locations in Nicosia and Limassol as part of a smart traffic management system, Transport Minister Yiannos Karousos said on Friday.

He told reporters during a visit to Limassol that tenders will be invited in about two months.

“There will be sensors that will receive all the data and the system will decide how much priority to give each time,” he said.

A similar system was introduced at the Ayia Fyla roundabout, to a mixed reception from the public but praise from the ministry which said it had cut travel time in half.

Karousos said there will be a central management system at the department of public works and that municipalities would also have a say in the system.

Smart traffic lights will reduce waiting times for drivers and ease traffic congestion. Moreover, the system will be able to identify buses, ambulances and taxis and give them priority, he added.

As regards the remaining roundabouts on the Limassol highway, Karousos said that a study was underway for a similar system as that at Ayia Phyla. “If it shows that there will be improvement, we will go ahead and install smart traffic lights at those roundabouts too,” he added.

The ministry has already signed a contract that is currently being implemented to install sensors and cameras on the motorways to provide data that will be displayed to drivers on electronic placards. Information will be provided on issues such as congestion and accidents, and alternative routes proposed so as to improve traffic flows.

Source: Smart traffic lights to be installed in 125 locations in Nicosia and Limassol | Cyprus Mail

By Elias Hazou and Jonathan Shkurko

Members of the House transport committee on Thursday called on the government to work on regulating the use of personal mobility vehicles in Cyprus, most notably electric scooters.

A scooter is any self-propelled device using any form of energy, which can carry a seated or standing person. The device has handlebars, a drive shaft, and at least two wheels.

The topic of the committee was road safety and Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos was present during the discussions.

The government bill governing the use of scooters or e-scooters is an interim arrangement, in anticipation of an EU directive regulating the matter.

It provides that scooters can be used only in bicycle paths or bicycle lanes, or in a space that is an extension of a bicycle lane – such as a communal area used by cyclists and pedestrians, or in a square or sidewalk following a decision by the local municipality or local authority.

Operators must be 16 years old and over, and must wear a helmet. At a minimum, a scooter must have a breaking system, lights in front and in the back, a bell, and tyres. The maximum allowable speed is 15 km per hour.

The bill also includes regulations for importers and traders of scooters – again relating to scooters’ technical specifications, as well as regulations governing the licensing of scooter rentals.

Additionally, the proposed legislation spells out the offences and the related penalties.

Akel MP Yiannakis Gavriel called the proposed legislation a step in the right direction. But certain concerns remained – such as that there exists no requirement to register these devices, which could lead to unchecked imports.

For her part, Disy MP Fotini Tsiridou said the aim was to find ways to tackle road accidents on the island.

“Personal mobility vehicles were firstly introduced as recreation vehicles, but, due to their growing popularity, they are now increasingly used as proper means of transport.

“This development forces us to plan for their regulation, taking into account various parameters, based on road safety, mobility, but also urban planning, traffic and other data,” Tsiridou said.

According to her, three bills regarding road safety have also been submitted to the transport ministry.

The first one concerns the regulation of the circulation of bicycles, with emphasis of who can ride them and where.

The second one aims at regulating the settling of out-of-court fines for motorists caught breaking road safety rules, while the third one proposes the ban on circulation of personal mobility vehicles on roads.

In addition to the three bills, the committee discussed amending the law on the driver’s license.

“Based on a study carried out by the EU on the cost of motorcycle accidents in each country in relation to the social and economic impact, it emerged that the yearly cost for Cyprus is €250 million,” Tsiridou said.

The amendment will propose a time limit on a learner’s permit, the expiry of which will force the driver to retake the exam in order to obtain it again.

The proposed bill will also deem it mandatory for all motorcycle drivers to wear a helmet and protective equipment.

Employers of delivery drivers, mostly working on mopeds, will have to provide them with helmets and protective gear.

Source: Authorities called to tackle rise in scooter use on roads | Cyprus Mail

More than 950 violations were recorded over the last three days, police said on Sunday.

Until Sunday morning, during traffic inspections carried out since Friday by the traffic police more than 950 traffic violations were reported.

Police said violations included speeding, traffic lights violations, as well as driving under the influence of alcohol.

A total of 568 drivers were reported for speeding while for traffic signal and traffic lights violations 84 drivers were reported.

Twenty five drivers tested positive for driving under the influence of alcohol, while 10 drivers tested positive for a preliminary drugs test.

Another 27 complaints were made for not using a seat belt by drivers and passengers, 19 complaints were made for driving with non-free hands, and 33 complaints about offences of illegal parking.

According to the police, there were 17 complaints of drivers not covered by an insurance certificate, as well as 18 complaints of drivers who had no MOT, and 112 complaints for driving without valid registration.

Source: Police fine more than 950 drivers in three days | Cyprus Mail

Limassol district court on Wednesday sentenced a 26-year-old to four months in prison for a series of traffic violations committed on January 29.

He was found guilty of driving a motor vehicle without an insurance and licence, with an expired MOT and driving while having his driving licence suspended by a court. There were six charges in all.

He was handed concurrent sentences with the longest being that of four months in prison.

Source: Motorist sentenced to four months in prison for traffic violations   | Cyprus Mail

Police booked around 1,300 drivers for various traffic offences between March 4 and 5, they said on Sunday.

The remainder of the fines related to other driving offences.

Police said on Friday they would be stepping up patrols over the long weekend.

Source: Around 1,300 drivers fined in 48 hours | Cyprus Mail

The police have procured 96 new vehicles, most of which are ‘smart vehicles’, 42 of which are connected to the ANPR system and another nine are ‘stealth’ cars, which will not be immediately recognisable as police patrol units.

The ANPR system can detect a variety of factors, such as number plates, speed control, valid driver’s license, and outstanding warrants or fines. In October 2020, it was announced that the police had obtained 49 such vehicles, with Wednesday’s report adding more to the force.

Head of the police’s technological development department Loizos Prastitis told Phileleftheros that the smart cars will primarily focus on the secondary road network. Of those, 44 are SUVs and will replace the existing fleet.

The force will now also have at its disposal two mobile command units which will be able to independently coordinate the patrol fleet.

They will be deployed at scenes of trouble and will be able to take statements from witnesses on location.

The two units will also be fitted with screens to follow live footage of ongoing incidents.

The nine ‘stealth cars’ will not have police lights or markings and will blend in with the usual traffic.

And, finally, the police force is also being beefed up with a further five anti-riot vehicles which will be able to transport teams to the scene of riots, illegal gatherings and other such incidents.

Source: Police force builds up its smart fleet | Cyprus Mail

Source: After bumpy start, 6,000 traffic camera fines finally issued | Cyprus Mail

Road safety lessons at school could become a prerequisite for young drivers to secure their learner’s licence as government ministries discuss measures to improve driving standards.

Meetings have been held between government ministries to see what can be done, with the transport and education ministries studying which measures could be brought in at schools to cultivate a greater culture of road safety.

One such proposal is that attending road safety lessons at school become a prerequisite to obtaining a learner’s driving licence.

Elsewhere, the transport and education ministers looked to conscripts at the national guard – a demographic seen as more likely to be involved in crashes.

Proposals may be made to hold road safety seminars at the army camps.

Source: Authorities mull changes to learner’s licence requirements | Cyprus Mail

Municipalities may soon deploy traffic cameras of their own following the green light from the transport ministry, but offences such as speeding won’t be recorded.

The reopening of Nicosia’s revamped Makarios Avenue brought the issue to prominence as one of its two lanes is open only to buses and a few eligible vehicles – as per EU stipulations, which funded the project – but all manners of other cars are encroaching on the bus lane.

Nicosia municipality has said that it is unable to prevent private cars from entering the bus lane without the assistance of a camera monitoring system – which would issue fines to ineligible vehicles veering into it.

“They are currently being installed and the network will be operational by May or June,” Nicosia mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis told SigmaLive on Wednesday morning.

Yiorkadjis said that the police are responsible for preventing ineligible vehicles from entering the bus lane and not the municipality’s traffic wardens – who instead only check for parking violations.

But it remains undecided as to whether the police or the municipalities will bear responsibility for the camera system, Yiorkadjis said.

Discussions are underway to revise the institutional framework which would permit the camera systems to operate, a process which got further underway following a meeting hosted on Tuesday by the transport ministry. The union of municipalities attended, as did legal advisors who are to draw up plans which will in turn be sent to the transport ministry, the legal services and eventually parliament for a vote.

As it stands, the cameras deployed by municipalities will only issue fines for parking violations and vehicles entering lanes they are not permitted.

Makarios Avenue reopened on December 7 but it was announced that all vehicles will temporarily gain access, seemingly in contradiction to the stipulations set out by Nicosia’s urban mobility plan.

Source: Municipalities eye installing traffic cameras | Cyprus Mail