Cyprus will install artificial intelligence-powered cameras to catch drivers using mobile phones, describing the practice as a plague that is killing people on the roads, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said at the first session of the newly constituted House Transport Committee.
Police data shows distraction is one of the main causes of road collisions in Cyprus. Vafeades said the AI camera scheme would tackle this directly.
“The aim is not to punish people but to strengthen road safety. Anyone holding a mobile phone must be penalised. Only that way will we stop phone use while driving — and only that way will we stop the deaths,” he said.
The scheme will be introduced on a pilot basis first. “It will not be introduced into Cypriot society from scratch — we will help people understand through education and awareness,” Vafeades added.
Two further changes to the photo enforcement system were also announced. Camera vans will move from motorways into urban centres, where Vafeades said most road deaths occur. Fixed cameras will be installed at the start and end of motorways to calculate average speed, with drivers exceeding the limit reported automatically. The existing photo enforcement contract runs until 11 September 2027, with an option to extend for a further two years.
Vafeades also flagged a review of electric vehicle subsidy criteria, with the aim of redirecting support towards the middle class. Any decisions, he said, would depend on state finances.
Project delays and transparency
Project delays drew considerable attention during the session. ALMA MP Odysseas Michailidis, standing in for Irini Charalambidou, announced the movement would submit a bill on project contracts and transparency. Vafeades welcomed the initiative, saying delays and transparency were of the utmost importance to the ministry. He noted that a process was already under way to appoint project directors to inspect projects and report on their progress.
Limassol traffic
MPs raised worsening traffic congestion in Limassol as a quality of life concern. Vafeades said upgrading and completing the road network was a ministry priority, alongside providing citizens with alternative means of transport.
He said he had met four Limassol mayors and two community leaders on 26 May, agreeing a list of 60 projects for immediate implementation based on traffic needs and available funding. Around 12,000 new vehicles are added to the city each year, he said. The northern Limassol bypass tender is targeted for launch by the end of 2026, though the project will take three to four years to complete, with interim solutions being examined in the meantime.
School buses
The session closed with questions on an Audit Office report finding that 35% of school buses inspected at public testing centres island-wide were deemed unfit. The ministry itself had ordered the checks, Vafeades said, citing suspicions that private vehicle testing centres were not carrying out their work properly.
Transport Committee chairman Sotiris Ioannou announced the school bus issue would be the focus of the committee’s next session.
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