Human rights committee MPs on Monday branded the high cost of car insurance for drivers aged over 70 as “discrimination”, warning that no evidence has been provided to justify the rising premiums.

The committee began examining a proposed bill by independent MP Alexandra Attalides. The bill seeks to amend insurance law to ensure fair treatment for drivers over the age of 70 when taking out vehicle insurance.

Speaking after the meeting, Attalides said complaints, reviewed by the commissioner for administration, showed insurance hikes of up to 220 per cent, without any proven link to driving behaviour.

She said her proposal aims to “end practices that force elderly drivers to pay excessive premiums or even deny them insurance altogether”. She cited Cyprus police data, showing that drivers over 70 are involved in fewer accidents compared to other age groups.

Attalides stressed that insurance companies should review policies based on a driver’s history, not their age. She warned that the current blanket approach amounts to unconstitutional discrimination under Cypriot law, European regulations, and decisions of the European court of human rights.

In many other countries, older drivers are rewarded with lower premiums because they tend to drive more carefully, avoid bad weather and night-time driving, and use their vehicles more responsibly, she added. In Cyprus, however, they are “punished”, risking their independence and social inclusion, despite government and EU priorities to support active ageing.

During the debate, it also emerged that some companies expect older drivers to subsidise the higher risk of younger ones. Attalides pointed out that statistics again show that seniors are involved in the fewest accidents.

“What we saw was that insurance companies had no data to justify these practices,” she said.

All members of the human rights committee expressed their support for the proposal. MPs from opposition party Akel and ruling party Disy said they would back it when it reaches the House plenary.

Akel MP and committee chair, Irene Charalambidou, vowed to fast-track the bill. She said that the issue of high insurance premiums for the elderly is long overdue for proper scrutiny, as current oversight is insufficient.

Charalambidou argued that age alone should not lead to automatic penalty. The state, she said, allows over-70s to drive with a medical certificate and requires them to be insured, but does not supervise how fairly they are treated by insurers. She questioned how seniors are expected to stay mobile if they cannot afford insurance and pointed out the lack of public transport alternatives.

“When will the state provide proper transport for its citizens?” she asked.

She also described as “unthinkable” the idea that someone who has never had a serious accident could be charged €600 to €800 for insurance after turning 75. Disy MP Rita Superman also spoke in favour of the move. She said parliament has been working for some time to end discrimination against older drivers, calling the current treatment a form of “ageist racism”.

Superman described Attalides’ bill as a step in the right direction. She said insurance companies must be obliged to assess individual risk fairly and transparently, not base premiums purely on age. She urged government agencies to show greater awareness and carry out proper checks in what she called “a very serious matter”.