The Road Safety Council has only agreed with two out of nine legislative proposals by MPs regarding the traffic camera system, rejecting the rest due to legal conflicts or because they do not align with the deterrent nature of the penalties.
The Council, represented by its chairman, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, provided its position on the nine proposals following the parliamentary Transport Committee session on June 27, to inform MPs before making a final decision. These legislative proposals were submitted by MPs in response to drivers’ complaints about fines issued by traffic cameras, claims of unfairness regarding right-turn arrows, and concerns that many drivers risk losing their licenses and are unable to pay the fines.
According to Mr. Vafeades’ response to Parliament, obtained by “Phileleftheros,” two of the proposals, submitted by AKEL and ELAM, suggest paying fines in installments. The Road Safety Council rejects this outright, citing constitutional concerns and arguing that implementing such a measure would require evaluating each installment request based on specific criteria (economic or otherwise) set by the authority issuing the fine.
The response letter notes that the number of fines exceeds 200,000 annually, without considering the increase from the traffic camera system, which issues approximately 1,700 fines daily. Consequently, implementing an installment payment system would lead to inadequate monitoring. It is highlighted that if a violation goes to court, the court already has the discretion to allow installment payments when deemed appropriate.
The Road Safety Council also deems the proposal by DIKO MP for Paphos, Chrysanthos Savvidis, as unconstitutional. This proposal suggests that no criminal prosecution or written notice for out-of-court settlement should be issued for traffic light or speed limit violations when the vehicle is driven by a learner during a lesson. The Council argues that this proposal contradicts the principle of equality established by the Constitution (Article 28(1)), as all citizens are equal before the law and should be treated equally.
Regarding the crucial issue of installing timers at traffic lights equipped with cameras, the Council strongly disagrees with two legislative proposals by AKEL and ELAM MPs.
