Clampdown coming on traffic violations by drivers of rentals

The transport ministry will soon bring legislation regulating the matter of traffic violations by drivers of rentals.

Prepared by the Road Transport Department, the bill aims to address the issue where a number of motorists get away with traffic violations as they cannot be tracked down.

Marinos Moushiouttas, chair of the House transport committee, said Thursday that the RTD is designing an online platform which car rental firms will use to identify wayward drivers, so that the latter pay the fine like everybody else.

Diko MP Chrysanthos Savvides said that traffic cameras have logged 65,000 violations during their four months of operation.

Of these, to date only 16,000 fines – or about one in four violations – have been mailed to the violators.

The average fine is €30 to €35.

Savvides said problems persist with the processing of fines, hence the delays.

Meanwhile, many Cypriots simply avoid picking up the fine from the post office after receiving an alert. In this way, they take advantage of a loophole in the relevant law, where the company managing the cameras has 180 days to serve a fine, otherwise the fine is voided.

Savvides said it was “odd” that most people get their traffic fines through the post office, while for drivers of rentals the arrangements would be made online.

Another issue relates to driving schools – learners who might commit traffic violations during a drive with an instructor. As things stand, the instructor will get saddled with the penalty points on their licence.

By law, from the date of picking up a fine, a person has 30 days to pay it online. If the fine is not paid within that timeframe, an extra 50 per cent is added to the amount payable. If 45 days pass without settling the fine, the case goes to court.