Cyprus ministry plans to introduce AI traffic cameras to combat mobile phone use

The Cypriot Ministry of Transport, led by Minister Alexis Vafeades, is initiating a pilot program to install AI-powered cameras designed to detect drivers using mobile phones. During a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport on June 25, the Minister emphasized that mobile phone distraction, including browsing social media like TikTok, is a leading cause of fatal traffic accidents. To improve road safety, mobile camera vans will be redeployed from highways to urban centers where most serious accidents occur. Additionally, authorities are considering installing fixed cameras on highways to calculate the average speed of vehicles between two points. Separately, police have begun issuing traffic fines at border crossings by identifying drivers through their national ID numbers to address a backlog of 360,000 unpaid tickets. Although the Minister noted that fatal accidents have increased despite the existing photo-enforcement system, he clarified that these new measures aim to educate the public rather than simply increase penalties.