More traffic cameras go online

3278 views
1 min read

Cyprus’ traffic camera network has added another two in operation at busy junctions in the capital as of Monday, with four mobile units totalling eight.

Another two fixed cameras at Limassol junctions and four more mobile vans (12) are expected to come online by the end of March.

According to police, the two new fixed traffic cameras went live at the busy Limassol Avenue in Nicosia at its junction with Armenia Avenue and at the Griva Digheni and Prodromou Avenues crossing.

In Limassol, cameras coming online at the end of March are at the junction of Archbishop Makarios with Nikos Pattichis avenues and the junction of Agia Fylaxeos-Gladstonos Avenues.

Also, around mid-April, cameras set up at two busy intersections in Nicosia will go live, and four more mobile units will make it 16.

One is located at Strovolos Avenue with Machera Street, and the second is at the intersection of Makarios Avenue with Spyros Kyprianou and Digeni Akrita avenues.

Before Monday, four fixed cameras operated at the busy Nicosia junction of Grivas Digheni and Demosthenis Severis Avenues.

Once the €34 mln system is fully operational, there will be 90 fixed units in 30 locations and 20 mobile cameras.

Traffic cameras were first introduced 14 years ago, but technical and legal issues over the ownership of the platform and collection of fines forced the government to switch them off.

Cyprus has adopted the European target of a 50% reduction in road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.

According to the police, between 2016-2021, some 13,689 drivers were caught running a red light, while 403 road accidents occurred due to a traffic light violation.

Nine fatalities were reported from road accidents at intersections controlled by traffic lights, while another 162 were seriously injured.

Between 2016 and 2020, some 465,394 motorists were fined for speeding.

“This number is proportionally very high compared to the country’s population, which is also reflected in the increased number of road accidents, and consequently in the number of deaths and injuries,” said police.

Traffic cameras record traffic light and speed limit violations, plus secondary offences such as not wearing a seatbelt or crash helmet and talking on the phone.

Cyprus recorded the lowest number of road deaths in 2022, with officials pinning the success of re-introducing speed cameras.

Cyprus traffic police reported 37 deaths from road accidents, seven less than the year before.

Larnaca, Paphos and Paralimni have yet to receive fixed traffic cameras.