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Cypriot MPs are renewing efforts to introduce countdown timers at traffic lights monitored by red-light enforcement cameras, arguing that the measure would improve road safety and give motorists greater confidence when approaching junctions.
The issue was examined on Thursday by the Parliamentary Transport Committee, where members from several political parties expressed support for installing the timers despite objections from the Department of Public Works. The matter is expected to return to the Committee for further discussion in September.
Committee Chairman Sotiris Ioannou said Parliament remains committed to the proposal and criticised the explanation that countdown timers cannot be integrated with the country's smart traffic light network. He described that position as unreasonable, saying modern technology should make such a solution possible.
MPs have requested written evidence of discussions between government departments and the companies involved before the Committee continues examining the issue.
Several lawmakers argued that drivers often feel uncertain when approaching intersections monitored by enforcement cameras and believe countdown timers would help motorists judge when traffic signals are about to change.
AKEL MP Valentinos Fakontis said the camera enforcement system was introduced to improve road safety but claimed it has increasingly become a source of government revenue. He argued that cameras should be concentrated at locations with a history of serious collisions and operate primarily as a deterrent rather than a means of issuing fines.
Fakontis also recalled that Parliament approved legislation during the previous parliamentary term requiring countdown timers at camera-equipped traffic lights, but the proposal was returned by the President of the Republic before it became law. He said similar systems are already used in a number of countries in Asia and the Americas and could also be introduced in Cyprus.
Other members of the Committee questioned why countdown timers are used successfully abroad while officials continue to reject them in Cyprus. Concerns were also expressed about the performance of smart traffic lights, with examples cited of congestion and safety problems at certain junctions.
Officials from the Department of Public Works maintained that the issue is linked to the operation of traffic signals rather than the enforcement cameras themselves, which simply record the colour of the traffic light when a vehicle passes.
Executive Traffic Engineer Alexis Avgousti explained that traffic lights continuously adjust their timing to respond to changing traffic conditions and to give priority where required, including for pedestrians and buses. Because those timings change in real time, he said companies consulted by the Department could not guarantee that countdown displays would always provide accurate information.
The Department also informed MPs that work is progressing on a €7 million regional traffic management project covering 125 junctions in Nicosia and Limassol. The contract is expected to be signed once a pending Administrative Court decision is issued, with officials hoping this will happen by September.
The countdown timer proposal will return to the Parliamentary Transport Committee later this year as lawmakers continue examining whether the technology can be introduced at traffic lights equipped with enforcement cameras.
