Cyprus-Forum.com

[Sotos]

DRIVERS and motoring organisations have mostly come out in favour of traffic cameras being installed at various traffic lights across the island in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos.

The General Manager of the Cyprus Automobile Association, Takis Kyriakides described the installation of the cameras as “very beneficial”.

“Perhaps they might stop young people killing themselves on the roads and causing injuries to others.”

He added that the cameras, which are seen in almost every country in the world, will help with traffic management in cities as drivers won’t be able to creep forward at the lights as they always do and block traffic coming from the opposite direction and pedestrian crossings. Hopefully, he said, this will also put an end to the practice of jumping red lights.

“The safety of motorists and pedestrians is something that we feel very strongly about and we are in favour of any measures that increase road safety.”

Kyriakides added that the AA is working on new awareness campaign for next year, which will focus on drink driving, the use of seat belts, child safety and the condition of a vehicles tyres.

“We have been asked to raise awareness by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) and we have asked the government and the private sector to help us raise awareness.”

Police spokesman Demetris Demetriou said that authorities have just started installing the traffic light cameras in various places around the island. The installation will be done in five phases and will take around five years to complete.

“We are hopeful, judging from the experiences of other EU countries, that these cameras will be a valuable aid in combating driving offences and maintaining traffic safety,” he said.

The assistant director of traffic police, Andreas Laos, yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that the hope is to have the first cameras operational by next month, meaning drivers will be forced to obey traffic laws.

“In the meantime, they should get ready by ensuring their number plates are clearly visible and owners should also make sure all paperwork is up to date if they come to sell their vehicles, in order to avoid misunderstandings over ownership.”

Motorists agreed, with kiosk manager John Ioannou describing the cameras as a good idea.

“The current hand-held radar speed checks are inaccurate. Plus, anything that slows down these idiotic boy-racers is a good move. This is a positive development and I hope that they put up these cameras all over towns.”

Eleni Socrates, who commutes from Larnaca to Nicosia on a daily basis believed that the plan is a good idea overall.

“This way we’ll avoid the phenomenon of policemen running out into the middle of the road and scaring us to death.”

“However, I have reservations as to whether the cameras will reduce the number of fatal accidents on the roads, as speeding seems to be ingrained into the Cypriot mentality and people think accidents won’t happen to them.”

However, Howard Jones, a retired university professor of environmental studies in the UK, expressed a totally different opinion. “My experience of traffic cameras across Europe is that they are abused by the government and the police to provide additional revenue.

“Rarely are they positioned at accident black spots are often located on long, straight highways.

“I feel that the most dangerous drivers are joy riders in towns but instead of using the police to clamp down on them, I only ever see radar speed checks on highways.

“Traffic cameras have also been found to create a different type of menace as drivers learn their locations. People drive really quickly when approaching them, slow down for the camera and then speed off again to make up for the time that they’ve lost slowing down.”

[WickedSalsero]

I welcome anything that can reduce traffic accidents deaths...

[Sotos]

... and increase the revenue of the state

[devil]

... and increase the revenue of the state

If the law were to be respected, there would be no income for the state, only expenses.

[Olga]

- In Nicosia, cameras have been placed at the traffic lights on the Palechoriou – Ergates road, Palechoriou – Arediou road, Dighenis Akritas Avenue – Severis Avenue junction, Athalassas Avenue – Limassol Avenue junction and on the Arediou – Agrokypia road.

- In Limassol, cameras have been placed on Spyros Kyprianou – Omonia Avenue junction, Paphos Avenue – Omonia Avenue junction and on the Amathuntas – Arsinoe road.

- In Larnaca, cameras have been placed at the traffic lights on the Faneromeni – Artemides road and on the Faneromeni – Limassol Avenue road.

- In Paphos, a camera has been placed at the traffic light on the Danae – Universal road. (Cyprus Mail)

Anybody got caught?

[TheCabbie]

Anybody got caught?

No but the guy next to me at the traffic lights at the end of the Larnaca Nicosia highway was a long way over the line, he'll be getting a nice card this Xmas

[Sotos]

TRAFFIC cameras across the island will become operational in two weeks, with the police announcing that motorists will the first fortnight escape with only a warning.

Director of Traffic Police Theodoros Achilleos yesterday told the Cyprus Mail that, “this is a way to let the public get used to the devices. If a driver is caught speeding by a camera during the first two weeks, they will receive a warning letter in the post but will not be fined.

“After that, the fine is one pound for every kilometre per hour over the speed limit, as it is currently. If a driver is caught jumping a red light, the fine will be £50 plus two penalty points on their driving licence.”

The traffic chief went on to say that drivers would be given a leeway of 20 per cent, regarding the sensitivity at which the cameras will be set. “This means that a vehicle will be able to travel up to 120 kilometres per hour on the highway without being fined, where the speed limit is 100km/h.

Achilleos also noted that, “if three-quarters of a vehicle crosses the white line while waiting at a red light, the driver will also be fined. We hope this will put an end to the ridiculous practice of drivers creeping relentlessly forwards at the lights.”

Initially, there will be 40 cameras around the island, 32 of those being fixed and eight being mobile.

“That figure will rise to 450 cameras island-wide over the next four years, at a cost of 6.5 million euros,” Achilleos said.

[Mikros]

Actually, the other day I was reading an article that in some countries they have already started thinking of taking them out of operation, since their use has not shown any decrease of accidents, but an INCREASE, since drivers pay more attention to the location of the cameras rather than concentrating on the road ahead... Our authorities still insist that the ONLY reason for death accidents is speeding and not careless driving by silly, ingnorant drivers of ALL ages, or bad car condition or even road conditions. But as always in this country, we always think a bit ...late!

My 2p thought

[Sotos]

Hello Mikre and welcome to the forum What the governments wants to do is to show that they are trying to reduce traffic accidents and at the same time increase their revenue. Traffic cameras was a perfect idea for their needs!

[Mikros]

I agree Sotos, but I remember some years ago, I was told that due to these Scameras, Israel people stopped letting ambulances pass them in traffic, since the drivers in front (first in the que in traffic lights) did not want to get a nice picture of their cars because they passed the lights' line....