The Traffic Department is ready to implement the photoradar list system at checkpoints despite unanimous opposition from the Parliament Legal Committee, whilst officials clarified yesterday that the contractor handling traffic cameras is not paid based on violations.
The issue of how the company operating the traffic camera system is paid surfaced last week when a Finance Ministry official presenting to Parliament, apparently inadvertently, stated the company was paid according to violations.
MPs requested clarifications to confirm the company does not receive percentages based on violations.
An official from the Electromechanical Services Department told the Parliament Finance Committee yesterday that payments to the contractor are not connected at all with violations and fines.
The company is paid based on a contract for its operating hours, the official said. Fixed cameras operate 24 hours, whilst mobile cameras work eight hours per day according to a police schedule, according to the official.
The head of Fiscal Management at the Finance Ministry said the reason more money is needed for the photo-enforcement system is that some months of 2024 were not paid, plus there are extra charges from some cameras installed this year.
AKEL MP Andreas Kafkalias noted there is a unanimous position from the Legal Committee for the photoradar list not to proceed. Traffic Department Director Charis Evripidou responded that the amount requested for the photoradar list is €250,000, not what was heard.
“When we were involved in the Legal Committee discussion, we explained that based on legislation we have the right to do it, and the Law Office was asked to study it with us and see if amendments were needed,” Evripidou said.
“We have a written response that within the framework of legislation no amendment is needed and we have the authority as Police to do it. It has to do with the service of extrajudicial documents that the Police will do, not the company, and it’s a more modern means of service. We concluded to proceed only with checkpoints and not airports.”
