After 14 years away, speed cameras are officially back on the island as the newly re-introduced traffic monitoring network went live on Monday.
In comments to website Philenews, assistant traffic police chief Charis Evripidou said the network went live with four fixed speed cameras at a busy Nicosia junction and four more mobile cameras.
The four cameras set up at a busy Nicosia junction on Grivas Digheni and Demosthenis Severis Avenues, where a pilot programme launched to test the new system, recorded more than 500 violations in two hours.
The other four mobile cameras will be placed strategically across the island according to a plan drawn up by traffic police.
Evripidou said, until the end of the year, no offending motorist will be receiving a fine as operators of the system will only be sending out warnings, giving time to drivers to familiarise themselves.
From the New Year 2022, motorists violating the highway code will be sent tickets to their homes.
Until January, offending drivers will be sent warnings through the post but not fines or penalty points.
From January, fines will be sent to the owner of the offending vehicle, who will then have 15 days to declare who was behind the wheel at the time.
Cameras will monitor speed violations, motorists not wearing a seat belt, motorcyclists not wearing crash helmets, the use of mobile phones whilst driving, and drivers not complying with the traffic light system.
The project is implemented in three phases, with 90 fixed cameras installed at 30 locations to monitor red light and stop sign infringements.
In the first six months, 20 fixed and 16 mobile cameras will be installed, with an additional 66 cameras in the third stage in the following 12 months.
It will be completed in about two years.
The €34 mln project has Cyprus Police feeling confident the re-introduction of traffic cameras will help reduce road accident-related deaths.
When Cyprus introduced speed cameras in 12 locations, road accidents were reduced by over 50%.
Traffic cameras were first introduced in 2007, but technical and legal issues over the ownership of the platform and collection of fines forced the government to switch them off.
As an EU member, Cyprus has adopted the European target of a 50% reduction in road fatalities and a 50% reduction in serious injuries by 2030.
According to police, the fines for offences monitored by the cameras are:
- Speeding fines will be issued according to the excess speed
- Not complying with the traffic light system: €300 and three penalty points
- Not stopping before the designated line at a junction: €25
- Not wearing a seatbelt: €150 and three penalty points
- Using a mobile phone whilst driving: €150 and two penalty points
- Not wearing a protective helmet whilst driving a motorcycle: €200 and three penalty points
