The fine for operating a jet ski or similar vessel without the required licence is set to increase from €85.43 to €1,500 under new legislation.

A competent official told the Cyprus News Agency on Monday that the increase was part of the new recreational navigation law, which was passed earlier this year but has not yet come into force.

The new law will also give the deputy shipping ministry the power to impose administrative fines, while police will have greater powers to issue penalties.

The current fixed penalty for operating a vessel without the required licence is €85.43.

Under the new framework, that will rise to €1,500, while an administrative fine imposed by the ministry could be even higher, the official said.

The changes come after Saturday’s jet ski collision off Protaras, in which a 17-year-old was operating a jet ski that collided with a towed inflatable carrying five people.

A 48-year-old man was critically injured, and his seven-year-old daughter suffered a skull fracture and was seriously injured.

The new legislation does not, however, simply prohibit unlicensed adults from hiring jet skis.

Since 2020, adults aged 18 and over have been permitted to rent and operate certain high-speed rental vessels without an operator’s licence, provided specific conditions are met.

“The important thing is for professionals to implement the provisions of the legislation and ensure that those renting the vessels also comply with them,” the official said.

The legislation has yet to take effect as the ministry is in the process of “completing the necessary arrangements”, before returning the bill to cabinet.