Could Cyprus Restrict Waze?
The Cyprus Traffic Police are opposed to mobile applications that warn drivers about speed cameras and police checkpoints. This mainly concerns popular services such as Waze, where users report the locations of speed cameras, police patrols and road incidents in real time. However, there is currently no legal basis for banning such applications in Cyprus.
Why the police criticise Waze
Recently, Deputy Chief of the Traffic Police Tasos Asikis said that the department had not received any official decisions from European authorities regarding possible restrictions on such services. According to him, reports about a potential ban have appeared only in the media and not in any official documents.
The police believe that these applications reduce the effectiveness of road enforcement. If drivers know in advance where a speed camera is located or where a police check is taking place, they slow down only in that specific area before resuming speeding afterwards. For this reason, law enforcement authorities argue that traffic enforcement should remain unpredictable.
How other countries deal with the issue
Asikis pointed to the experience of other countries. In the Australian state of Victoria, for example, concealed mobile speed cameras are widely used, and their locations are not disclosed in advance. A similar approach is also adopted in several European countries. Authorities believe that unexpected enforcement encourages drivers to comply with speed limits throughout their journey rather than only near known camera locations.
At the same time, different European countries have different rules. In some states, only features that warn drivers about mobile police checks are prohibited, while information about fixed speed cameras remains available.
In Cyprus, the police themselves publish camera locations
Interestingly, the locations of all fixed speed cameras in Cyprus are not a secret. A map and a complete list of their locations are available on official government websites. Most cameras are installed in accident-prone areas, and the authorities believe that publicly disclosing their locations helps prevent traffic violations and reduce the number of road accidents.
In addition, in March 2026, the Cyprus Parliament required vehicles equipped with mobile speed cameras to be fitted with flashing beacons so that drivers could easily identify them in advance. In effect, applications such as Waze use the same publicly available information already published by the authorities, while also adding reports submitted by users.
Will Waze be banned in Cyprus?
At present, no decision has been made to ban such services in the Republic of Cyprus. Asikis stressed that the police will only be able to consider the issue if official recommendations or legislative initiatives are introduced at the European level.
For now, drivers are free to use navigation applications. At the same time, the police remind motorists that the primary purpose of speed cameras is not to issue fines but to reduce accidents and improve road safety. Drivers are therefore encouraged to observe speed limits throughout their entire journey, not just in areas where cameras are installed.