In Cyprus, only 20% of attempts to serve traffic camera fines are successful. These figures were presented during a meeting of the Parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee. The authorities acknowledge that the current system is not working efficiently and are preparing changes that will allow drivers to be notified electronically.
Only 20% of Fines Reach Their Recipients
According to the Department of Road Transport, only 20% of approximately 190,000 attempts to serve out-of-court fines for camera-detected traffic violations have been successful. The main reason is outdated or incorrect addresses registered for vehicle owners. As a result, many motorists may not even be aware that they have unpaid fines.
At present, notifications are delivered in person by a private courier service. If delivery is unsuccessful, the information is added to the so-called Photo Radar List.
How Fines Are Currently Served
Parliament also reviewed the procedure for serving fines through the police-operated Photo Radar List. Representatives of the Ministry of Justice explained that:
- fines are served at police stations, checkpoints, and other locations where police officers are authorized to carry out identity and document checks;
- the system is not used at airports or seaports;
- passport control databases are not connected to the database of unpaid fines.
Police representative Harris Evripidou confirmed that if anyone was informed about a fine while passing through passport control, it would have been contrary to the current procedures. He also noted that only fines that could not previously be delivered by the private courier service are added to the list.
Cyprus Plans to Introduce SMS and Email Notifications
To address the problem, the authorities are preparing legislative amendments. A bill that would officially allow fines to be sent via SMS and email has already completed the public consultation process. Since 4 February, the document has been under review by the Cyprus Legal Service for its final legal examination.
If the amendments are adopted, the notification process will become significantly faster, and the number of cases in which drivers are unaware of their fines is expected to decrease substantially. Similar systems are already widely used across Europe, where digital notifications help inform offenders more quickly and speed up fine payments.
Lawmakers' Concerns
Members of Parliament requested additional information on the number of unpaid fines, the procedures for serving them, and the expected timeline for adopting the new legislation. Particular attention was given to situations where drivers fail to receive notifications through no fault of their own, for example due to incorrect address records. Lawmakers are concerned that in such cases individuals could face court proceedings or accumulate additional penalties without even knowing about the original offence.
The issue will be discussed further at one of the committee's upcoming meetings. The transition to electronic notifications is regarded as an important step in the digitalisation of public services in Cyprus. The authorities expect the new system to make the fine collection process more transparent, convenient, and efficient for both the government and motorists.
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