Hundreds of thousands of fines reached drivers years later

In the Republic of Cyprus, authorities have begun массово вручать around 320,000 previously undelivered fines for traffic violations. Many motorists are only now receiving notices for offences recorded back in 2024.

The accumulation of such a large number of fines was caused by delivery problems. Previously, the notices were sent by registered mail, which often arrived with a long delay, got lost, or never reached the addressees at all. According to the police, some recipients also deliberately did not collect the correspondence.

As a result, many drivers are now receiving several fines at once. This can lead to a rapid accumulation of penalty points and even the loss of a driving licence.

The authorities acknowledge that such long delays reduce the effectiveness of the photo enforcement system, since punishment stops serving a preventive function if it arrives one or two years after the offence.

To correct the situation, a new system is planned to be launched by the end of July — beginning of August. During road checks, police officers will be able to immediately see all undelivered fines through mobile terminals and hand them to drivers on the spot.

Recently, this practice has already started to be applied at checkpoints, which sparked discussion among MPs. However, the police say that current legislation allows notices to be served anywhere under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.

After receiving the notice, a driver will have 90 days to pay the fine. If payment is not made, criminal proceedings may be initiated 15 days later.

Today, the issue is being examined by the parliamentary legal affairs committee. MPs believe that responsibility for the situation lies not only with citizens, but also with state authorities, which failed to provide an effective notice delivery system in time.

Transport Minister Alexis Vafiadis acknowledged that serious mistakes were made when the photo enforcement system was launched. According to him, changes to legislation are now being prepared that will make it possible to send notices not only by ordinary mail, but also electronically, which will significantly speed up informing drivers.