Ministry of Transport is promoting a bill with new measures to improve road safety in Cyprus. The bill was approved by the cabinet has been submitted to the parliament and if voted will be in effect within 2017. Here’s what it includes:

• The introduction of narco-test for drivers. The Ministry of Transport has already allocated budget in order to purchase the required equipment.
• Installation of license plate scanning cameras for automated fines for traffic violations. A measure that was also introduced in the past but the system failed due to technical reasons.
• Minimum number of driving lessons, and compulsory theoretical exam before the practical driving test for new drivers will be enforced.
• Lowering of the age for acquiring a learner’s driving license from 17.5 years to 17 to allow for more training time.
• Changes in the acquisition of Health Certificates for elderly drivers including the introduction of criminal liability for doctors who issue fake health certificates allowing elderly drivers to put themselves and others in danger.
• Amendments in the legislation of Driving School licensing and the creation of a Driving Instructor School. This will include new strict criteria for licensing instructors.
• Greater emphasis on problems in the road network. The Department of Public Works will be preparing a periodical report of “black spots” in the network every three years and proceed to improve them.

Photo by Lefteris Katsouromallis