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Most drivers caught by traffic cameras in Cyprus are still not paying their fines, despite repeated warnings and an extension that gave them extra time to settle the penalties.
According to the Traffic Police Headquarters, only about 74,000 of the 250,000 out-of-court fines issued between January 2022 and September 2024 have been paid. That leaves more than 176,000 unpaid penalties sitting on the books — and the clock is ticking.
The police had originally set a deadline for the end of March, after which unpaid fines were expected to be sent to court. But that deadline was quietly extended to the end of April — and now officials say another extension might be on the way.
“We don’t know yet, but it’s possible this extension will continue,” said Lieutenant Tasos Asiekkis of the Traffic Police, speaking on Omega TV’s “Update Now” program.
He added that the online platform for the photo-verification system will soon be updated to include fines issued from October 2024 onward, making it easier for drivers to check if they've been caught by fixed or mobile speed cameras.
Not About the Money, Police Say
With so many fines left unpaid, the issue has raised questions about enforcement and follow-through. But police insist the motivation is not financial.
“It’s not about the money,” said Asiekkis. “These funds don’t go into the police budget; they’re deposited into the state treasury. And in cases where the offense falls under local traffic rules, the money goes to the municipalities or communities.”
What the police are concerned about, he said, is road safety. Encouraging people to pay their fines online is not just about collecting money but about keeping the roads safe and avoiding court backlogs.
“We want to avoid criminal prosecution. Timely penalties help ensure that people follow the rules,” Asiekkis said. “It also saves valuable time for both the police and the courts.”
Despite the police’s reasoning, thousands of drivers continue to ignore the system — and the warnings that come with it. Whether the current extension will be the last, or whether more leniency is on the way, remains to be seen.
