Transport drivers across Cyprus walked out on Monday, demanding urgent changes to laws on tachograph use.

The 24-hour strike began at 5am following a vote last week by the national assembly of Category A transport drivers, who drive all types of vehicles which are required to use tachographs.

Truck drivers in Cyprus are keeping up a 24-hour strike at Limassol port, after failing to reach an agreement with the management of the Eurogate Container Terminal.

Protests took place at ports in Limassol and Larnaca, as well as at quarries and the cement factory. While organisers said roads would not be blocked, the drivers parked their vehicles around the port entrance, blocking parts of the area.

The drivers’ union, part of the Povek federation, said strict rules on driving and rest times imposed by tachograph regulations are impossible to meet. They blame worsening traffic congestion in recent months for delays that leave drivers unable to comply with legal limits.

Drivers argue that time lost at ports, controlled by private operators, also eats into their legal driving hours. They say this adds pressure to complete deliveries, sometimes leading to longer working days.

Central organising secretary of Povek Kyriakos Moustakas said talks with Eurogate managers ended with no results.

“We left very disappointed,” Moustakas said after a meeting on Monday.

“They did not accept any of our suggestions to ease the delays caused by tachographs.”

Moustakas explained that delays during loading and unloading should count as rest time, not as working hours. This, he said, would reduce the hours recorded by the tachographs, leaving drivers more time to work legally.

He added that companies are losing profits compared to before the tachograph rules were introduced.

The drivers also want changes to technical rules, one of which concerns “extendable trailers” that can carry both 20-foot and 40-foot containers.

Moustakas claimed the department of road transport refuses to register these trailers.

“This is ridiculous,” he said.

He explained that extendable trailers are used all over Europe. They allow trucks to carry different container sizes.

Moustakas also said container sizes have changed globally, in both height and length. Other countries have updated laws to match these changes, he said, but Cyprus has not.

“Around the world, countries change their laws for these new standards. But we are left behind. And these things have become illegal in practice,” he warned.

If they get no feedback from the government, Moustakas said they will meet to decide what to do next.

The drivers listed demands such as changing laws that limit the height and length of trucks. They also want to be freed from the obligation to install protection bars on certain truck trailers.

However, the Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEV) has criticised the strike as an excessive step.

OEV warned it could cause serious disruption to supply chains, businesses, and the wider economy.

The federation admits there is a deep shortage of drivers affecting bus companies, logistics firms, business fleets and distributors.

It said efforts are underway with the authorities to find lasting solutions.

“While we understand the difficulties in the sector, strike action is a disproportionate measure with unpredictable consequences,” OEV said.

It urged drivers and their unions to reconsider the strike and return to talks.

“Continuing dialogue in a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect is the only path to real solutions, without risking economic stability or the smooth functioning of the market,” it said.