Marios Christofi
Police are proposing new rules to make it easier to collect traffic fines from rental cars, especially those driven by tourists.
Right now, when a rental car is caught by traffic cameras, the police ask the rental company or car owner to provide the driver’s details. Local drivers usually aren’t a problem, but foreign visitors often can’t be tracked, so fines go unpaid.
Between 2022 and May 2025, about 17,200 rental car violations were recorded with no driver identified. Only a small fraction of these fines have been paid, while thousands remain unresolved.
Under the new proposal, rental car owners would be legally required to give accurate driver information. If they provide wrong or incomplete details, they could face penalties. The idea is to make sure fines can reach the right person, even by email if needed.
“Abroad, rental companies collect a lot of information to locate drivers if something happens. We need to do the same here,” said Traffic Police Director Haris Evripidou.
The proposal is now being sent to Parliament for approval.
