Bus drivers belonging to the OMEPEGE-SEK and SEGDAMELIN-PEO unions are staging a two-hour work stoppage this morning from 9:00 to 11:00, with members simultaneously holding a protest rally at Solomos Square in Nicosia.
The unions said that despite repeated interventions and warnings to the Ministry of Transport over problems caused by the photo-enforcement camera system, “no meaningful solution has been found to date.” They have proposed the installation of red-light warning systems to give drivers advance notice, arguing this would avoid sudden braking that creates “serious safety issues for passengers.”
The announcement stressed that a bus cannot stop abruptly — both because of its size and because it carries passengers, many of whom are seated without seatbelts or are standing.
The stoppage follows new traffic camera enforcement rules that came into force on 6 March. Under the changes, drivers who enter a pedestrian crossing after a red light activates face a reduced out-of-court fine of €85 and three penalty points, with a stricter penalty applying when a vehicle crosses beyond the pedestrian crossing into the junction itself after the light turns red. The unions say the combination of camera enforcement and the speed at which traffic lights change colour has made bus driving unsafe.
The unions apologised for any inconvenience the stoppage may cause to the travelling public.
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