Cyprus will set up a committee to evaluate the country’s traffic‑camera system and propose improvements to driver training, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeadis has said.
Vafeadis said the authority to suspend the licences of drivers caught under the influence of drugs will be transferred to the police chief, allowing suspensions to be issued immediately at the scene.
He also said the ministry will amend legislation to make reflective markings mandatory on the helmets and clothing of delivery riders using motorcycles and electric bicycles.
A new committee will assess the performance of the camera system since its rollout and submit recommendations by March, including measures to detect drivers using mobile phones.
Vafeadis said the government also plans broader reforms to driver education, covering training facilities, testing sites and other infrastructure.
He said last year’s 17 motorcyclist deaths and nine pedestrian deaths underline the need for additional measures. A separate committee will prepare an action plan for vulnerable road users.
Vafeadis added that authorities are monitoring reports from the United States about defective Chinese‑made airbags, though he said such airbags are not believed to be present in Cyprus.
Registered mechanics will be notified as a precaution.
Police will also step up checks on electric bicycles that exceed legal speed limits, and the government will work with delivery companies to ensure riders use high‑visibility gear.
Legislation will be amended to make such equipment compulsory.
The minister said a study is under way with parliament on possible regulation of bicycles and e‑bikes, including permitted areas of use and speed limits.