Cyprus ship register rises for first time in 7 years

The number of ships on the Cyprus register rose for the first time in seven years in 2006, increasing to 1,828 from 1,802 in 2005. The number of ships on the Cyprus register had been in steady decline since 1999 after EU-mandated improvements in quality and regulation pushed out low-quality operators.

The same report showed the entire transport, storage and communications sector accounted for 8.5% of GDP in 2006.

The statistics were contained in the Statistical Service’s latest annual report, “Transport Statistics” for the year 2006.

The report provides detailed information on the economic developments of the broad Transport, Storage and Communication sector as well as data on the registration of motor vehicles by type and category, road accidents, shipping and aviation activities and transportation of goods and passengers.

The main developments which occurred were as follows.

The broad Transport, Storage and Communication sector registered in 2005 an increase of 6.4% on the gross output, at current prices and amounted to CYP 1,015,7 mln in 2005, compared with CYP 954.9 mln in 2004.

The value added of the sector increased to CYP 602.9 mln in 2005, from CYP 572.3 mln in 2004 and its share of GDP was 8.5% at current market prices.

Motor vehicles newly registered during 2006, decreased by 0.7% to 48,387 from 48,712 in 2005. Private saloon cars newly registered decreased by 4.6% to 35.110 from 36,805 in 2005. (A tax-related boom had occurred in 2005).

Vehicles of all types and categories on the Register of the Land Transport Department, at the end of 2006 totalled 649,574, compared to 644,403 at the end of 2005.

The number of road accidents reported to the police increased to 2,673 in 2006 compared to 2,548 in 2005. Human casualties in road accidents were 86 persons killed and 2,589 persons injured in 2006, as against 102 dead and 2,296 injured in 2005.

During 2006, 4,534 vessels arrived at the various ports of Cyprus compared to 4,649 in 2005. Of these 3,334 or 73.5% arrived at Limassol port, 926 or 20.4% called at Larnaca port and 274 ships at other ports in the government-controlled areas.

At the end of 2006, there were 1,828 ships on the Cyprus Register with a total of 21,657,155 gross registered tonnage, as against 1,802 ships in 2005, with a total of 21,094,415 gross registered tonnage.

Civil aircraft landings during 2006 were at the same level and totalled 30.670 compared to 30.664 in 2005. Passenger arrivals through airports decreased to 3,344,784 in 2006, compared to 3,390,563 in 2005.

The report is available for sale by the Government Printing Office, at CYP 8.00 per copy. It is also available free of charge in electronic form, on the website of the Statistical Service under the section Publications (Category: Annual Publications, Theme: Transport, Tourism, Trade, Other Services, Subtheme: Transport and Communications). F.M.