Parliamentary committee rejects funding for traffic camera system upgrades

On September 28, 2026, the parliamentary Finance Committee unanimously rejected a request from the Ministry of Finance to release €146,640 plus VAT for the technical implementation of the 'Photo Radar List'. The project aimed to update the existing traffic enforcement system, allowing authorities to track and serve over 16,000 outstanding traffic fines to Turkish Cypriots crossing at checkpoints.

During the session, representatives from the Police, the Department of Electromechanical Services, and the contractor failed to convince lawmakers of the project's necessity. While the Department of Electromechanical Services argued that the system's interconnection with police databases is already technically feasible and supported by legal opinions, members of parliament expressed significant concerns. Key objections centered on the perception of the system as merely a revenue-collecting tool, concerns regarding the protection of personal data, and disputes over the appropriate method for serving fines. This marks the second failed attempt to secure these funds, leaving the issue of the large backlog of unserved traffic fines unresolved.