Car registrations fall in March

Total registrations of motor vehicles fell by 3.1% year on year to reach 4,257 in March, bringing that quarterly year-on-year rise to 6.2% for the first quarter of a whole, when 12,428 vehicles were registered.

In 2004, there was an increase of 33.9% in motor vehicle registrations, thanks to large cuts in excuse duties for many models of car that were implemented at the end of 2004.

By category in the first quarter, private saloon cars increased to 1,107 from 9,341 in January–March 2004, marking an increase of 8.2%.

Of the total private saloon cars, 4,668 vehicles or 46.2% were new and 5,439 vehicles or 53.8% were used vehicles. Second-hand cars in Cyprus are made unattractive by large excise duties which some have said are in breach of EU rules.

Registation of goods conveyance vehicles decreased by 9.7% to 1,027 in the first quarter of 2005, compared to 1,137 in the same period of 2004.

Light goods vehicles decreased in the same period by 6.1% to 815, from 868 in 2004.

Heavy goods vehicles decreased by 21.2% to 212 in January-March 2005, from 269 in the first quarter of 2004.

Mechanised cycles decreased by 4.8% to 691 in 2005, compared to 726 in January-March 2004.

Water transport rose 56.8% in 2004

Meanwhile, other statistics from CYSTAT report that Land Transport increased by 2.3%, compared to the corresponding period of 2003, Water Transport turnover value increased by 56.8% during 2004, compared to the corresponding period of 2003, while Air Transport increased by 2.8%.

The Telecommunication turnover value increased by 9.5%, compared to the corresponding period of 2003.