Authorities will begin legal action in three months against drivers who fail to settle fines issued by traffic cameras.

There are currently some 250,000 unpaid fines issued by traffic cameras according to reports.

Starting April 1, criminal files will be opened for drivers reported by Traffic Cameras who either deliberately avoided collecting their fines or were not notified due to incomplete contact information.

Police have announced a two-month grace period, running from January 8 to March 31, 2025, allowing vehicle owners to settle any outstanding fines for violations recorded between January 1, 2022, and September 30, 2024.

After the expiration of this period, if the owner of a vehicle fails to pay any potential out-of-court fine for a violation or violations recorded by the traffic cameras, a criminal file will be formed and they will be subject to criminal prosecution, a road safety official told Philenews.

This strict measure was approved during a meeting at the Legal Service, which gave the green light for prosecutions against those who refuse to collect their fines.

Police consider it the driver’s responsibility to verify through the managing company’s website whether a fine is pending against them and to take the necessary steps to settle it. According to the Legal Service, if a driver is notified by post but does not accept or collect the fine, it is considered that they have been informed, and strict measures will be enforced against them.

To locate and pay a pending traffic fine in Cyprus, people should visit the managing company’s website and input their vehicle registration number along with their ID card number, Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) number, or business registration number, as applicable. Once logged in, they can view any pending fines, the total number of outstanding fines and the reference number for each. Payments can then be completed through the police website.

Another proactive step taken by the traffic police against individuals who refuse to collect their fines despite receiving postal notifications is a new “photoradar list” that may be introduced as early as next month. This list will be integrated into the computer systems at airports, ports and checkpoints. This means that individuals with unpaid fines will be flagged during routine checks and fines will be issued on the spot.