The road transport department has announced that changes to learner motorcycle licensing will take effect from the first of next month, introducing stricter rules requiring learner riders to be shadowed on public roads during training.

Under the new framework, learner riders will only be permitted to operate motorcycles on public roads for training purposes and must be supervised by a licensed driving instructor riding a motorcycle of the same category.

Riding will also be permitted during official driving examinations for a certificate of competency and during authorised training for police, fire brigade and national guard vehicles.

From the same date, learner motorcycle licences will be limited to a maximum validity of two years.

The new rules are expected to have significant implications for the food delivery sector, where motorcycles are widely used by riders operating on learner permits.

Many of these riders are foreign nationals, and the change shall inevitably disrupt current working arrangements and recruitment practices.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Andreas Skallouris, a delivery rider contractor confirmed that full licensing requirements will now become unavoidable.

“They are going to need a full motorcycle licence. The government has been suggesting this measure for years. It has been delayed at several points, and it makes our work harder in terms of what we can tell our riders”, he said,

A delivery rider likewise expressed uncertainty over the immediate impact of the change.

“My brother is riding with a learner’s licence, and I don’t know what he’ll do now. It will take another month before he finishes his certification. Many others also have learner permits, so who is going to deliver all these meals?”, he remarked.

Authorities have previously stressed that learner permits are intended for training purposes only.

Former transport minister Yiannis Karousos said in earlier discussions surrounding the proposed law which was floated in early 2022 that “a learner permit is solely for learning how to drive, it cannot be for working whilst getting the hang of it.”

The regulation has also included concern over documentation for foreign nationals applying for learner permits, including residence verification through so called ‘pink slip’ documentation.

Bureaucratic delays and migration processing issues can complicate licensing procedures, particularly where permits are linked to employment in delivery services.

“Many come to Cyprus and it takes months for their paperwork and driving licence process to be completed”, Skallouris said.

“We will of course follow the law, but it is going to make things much harder for all parties.”

The road transport department has urged holders to book driving tests as early as possible in order to complete the process and obtain a full licence within the revised timeframe.