A contentious parliamentary hearing has cast doubt on the methods used to enforce unpaid traffic camera fines in Cyprus, juxtaposing legal concerns with a stark official warning over a surge in impaired driving. During a joint session on Tuesday, members of the finance and legal affairs committees challenged the Transport Ministry’s procedures, which involve intercepting individuals with outstanding penalties at border crossings and airports. This scrutiny emerged as the ministry sought a substantial budgetary increase for its traffic surveillance systems, while the Traffic Department concurrently presented alarming statistics on drink and drug-related fatalities.
The core of the parliamentary dispute hinges on the mechanism of enforcement. Legislators, notably Akel MP Aristos Damianou, contend that preventing citizens from traveling due to unsettled fines, absent a judicial warrant, constitutes an overreach of state authority. "Naturally the state should enforce the law, but the state must not act like a mafia that deceives people," Damianou asserted. This criticism echoes a prior opinion from the legal affairs committee, which deemed the practice potentially unlawful. The controversy directly implicates a specialized software application, the 'Photo Radar List', used to identify offenders at ports of entry, for which the ministry is requesting additional funding in its 2025 budget.
Simultaneously, authorities are grappling with a persistent road safety crisis. Traffic Department Director Haris Evripidou reported four fatal collisions in a single week, attributing them to drivers under the influence. Data from the first ten months of 2025 reveals 3,226 recorded incidents of alcohol-impaired driving and 869 drug-related offenses. Evripidou suggested these figures likely underrepresent the true scale of the problem, particularly concerning narcotics. "If we conducted more roadside drug tests, we’d certainly see more positive results," he noted, highlighting a systemic constraint. While preliminary saliva screenings are administered, the protracted wait for mandatory laboratory confirmation, often spanning weeks, impedes timely prosecution.
The financial request of €3.9 million underscores the state’s investment in automated enforcement. Officials clarified that the private contractor operating the island’s traffic cameras receives a predetermined fee, not a commission tied to violation counts, to avoid perverse incentives. Nevertheless, the parliamentary focus remains fixed on the legality of the enforcement apparatus funded by this allocation. The juxtaposition of these issues presents a complex policy dilemma: balancing efficient revenue collection and road safety against the imperative of upholding due process and civil liberties.
The outcome of this parliamentary scrutiny carries significant implications. A formal ruling against the current enforcement method could necessitate a legislative overhaul, potentially creating a backlog of uncollected fines and complicating border procedures. Meanwhile, the Traffic Department advocates for enhanced roadside testing capabilities and stricter penalties to deter impaired driving, with existing sanctions allowing for imprisonment and substantial fines. As Cyprus moves into 2025, the government faces the dual challenge of refining the legal framework of its automated enforcement regime while urgently addressing the human factors behind its most deadly road incidents.