Race driver Vladimiros Tziortzis and Michalis Pavlidis, one of the co-founders of the NGO “Yparcho” aimed at people with disabilities, have been appointed by the road safety council as the new ambassadors for road safety in the island, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades announced on Friday.

In statements made to the press after a meeting of the road safety council, Vafeades stressed that the goal is to further reduce deaths on the roads caused by traffic accidents, adding that the numbers are currently the same as last year’s.

The council was also attended by Justice Minister Anna Procopiou and by representatives of the health and education ministries.

“We have agreed to appoint new road safety ambassadors, whom we thank for their interest and participation in the effort to reduce deaths and accidents on our roads,” Vafeades said.

“We believe that they will help inform people, especially young ones, about road safety issues and spread road awareness among our children.”

During a recent meeting at the transport ministry, Vafeades said a series of measures aimed at improving road safety and reducing accidents in Cyprus are currently being studied.

He also addressed the issue of traffic enforcement cameras and highlighted the need to address any problems that may hinder their full implementation.

Vafeades acknowledged that the number of accidents and fatalities this year is on par with last year’s figures, despite hopes for improvement. He stressed the importance of continuing to work towards reducing these numbers and improving road safety on the island.

“We had a very good year last year, with significant reductions in fatalities. Our goal is to keep these numbers as low as possible, and we are committed to continuing our efforts in this regard,” he said.