Newsroom
In what can only be described as yet another comically predictable twist in Cyprus’ long-running traffic camera saga, it turns out that two speed cameras on Griva Digeni Avenue in Nicosia have been completely out of service since October 2022. And not because they’re broken—because no one renewed the contract.
The revelation came straight from the Road Safety Manager himself, Giorgos Milis, during an interview with RIK’s "Morning Route" radio show. The cameras in question were installed as part of a 2014 deal between the police and a private company, covering the stretch of road between the traffic lights at Archangelou Avenue and the ones at 25th March and Yiannou Kranidiotis.
For now, drivers on Griva Digeni can rest assured: those two cameras are just part of the scenery. Whether they’ll be removed, replaced, or simply forgotten altogether remains anyone’s guess.
That agreement, however, expired nearly a year and a half ago, and the cameras have been just standing there—doing absolutely nothing—ever since.
Milis explained that with the rollout of Cyprus’ new traffic camera system, which includes 110 new devices, authorities simply didn’t bother renewing the old contract. The two idle cameras are still sitting in place today because, according to Milis, they belong to the original company, and removing them is “a procedural matter.” In other words, someone has to get around to it.
Don’t expect them to be reused either
As for whether the defunct cameras could be hooked into the new traffic monitoring network? The answer is a firm no. The road safety manager clarified that the tech is just too outdated. “It’s from 2014,” he said. “The software can’t even work with the new system.”
A pattern of delays and false starts
The irony, of course, isn’t lost on Cypriots, many of whom have watched the country’s traffic camera rollout unfold in fits and starts over the years. The system has faced technical issues, delays, poor communication, and a growing list of PR headaches. Add this latest chapter to the mix: two lifeless cameras quietly watching traffic roll by—without snapping a single picture.
For now, drivers on Griva Digeni can rest assured: those two cameras are just part of the scenery. Whether they’ll be removed, replaced, or simply forgotten altogether remains anyone’s guess.
