Newsroom
MPs are once again taking aim at drunk driving, this time with a proposal that would ban any amount of alcohol for new drivers, a move supporters say is urgently needed after a string of deadly crashes on Cyprus’ roads.
The House Transport Committee will take up the bill on Thursday. The proposal, introduced by DIKO MP Chrysanthos Savvidis, would apply a zero-alcohol limit to anyone holding a driving license for the first time, regardless of age. That includes learner drivers, newly licensed drivers, and those who haven’t yet had a valid license.
Committee President and DIPA MP Marinos Mousiouttas said on DIASPORA NEWS radio that the goal is simple: make the rules tougher for those with the least experience behind the wheel. “Young drivers don’t have the reflexes or the experience to handle risk,” he said, adding that even small amounts of alcohol can tip the balance.
The push comes after two horrific crashes in Limassol, both involving young victims and drivers who tested positive for alcohol or drugs.
On November 23, 20-year-old Ahmad Al Matar was killed on Limassol’s coastal road when a 26-year-old driver sped through a red light, ploughed into him, and dragged him for several meters. Police said the driver’s final reading was 49 μg%, more than double the legal limit of 22 μg%, and he also failed a preliminary drug test.
Just days earlier, 17-year-old Aliki Nicolaou died after the driver of the car she was riding in lost control and slammed into the railings on the Limassol–Nicosia highway near Kakoratzia. That driver also tested positive for alcohol.
The numbers paint their own grim picture: from January to October 2025, police issued 3,226 citations for drunk driving and 869 for driving under the influence of drugs.
Mousiouttas said the zero-alcohol proposal won’t solve everything, but it’s a step toward tightening the culture around drinking and driving. “If we want to save lives, we need to start where the risk is highest,” he said.
The bill heads into discussion this week, with lawmakers bracing for debate on whether Cyprus is ready for a stricter, and some will say overdue, approach to new drivers on the road.
