Filenews 5 January 2023
With instalments, the new fixed cameras will be put into operation at the six points where they are to be installed and are expected to be delivered by January 31.
According to the contract, the contractor must deliver by the end of the month another twenty cameras installed at six fixed points indicated by the Traffic Police. The cameras have already been installed and tests are currently being carried out to see that everything is running smoothly. These are four points in Nicosia and two in Limassol. Also, under the contract, another 16 mobile cameras will be delivered, a total of 20.
Information from "F" states that the Ministry of Transport and by extension the Department of Electromechanical Services, which is the contractor of the project, are in no hurry to put the new cameras into operation. This is in order to first give the drivers time to familiarize themselves with the new points and on the other hand, to put the system into operation on a trial basis so that any problems that may arise can be addressed. According to the same information, all actions have been taken so that the infrastructure is ready for the operation of the cameras, which will be joined to the operation system of the lights, so that when a violation is detected, it is recorded.
The four new locations in Nicosia that will operate cameras are:
>> Makarios – Spyrou Avenue Kyprianou.
>> Griva Digeni – Prodromou Avenue.
>> Limassol – Armenia Avenue.
>> Strovolos Avenue – Machaira
The two intersections in the Limassol district are:
>> Archbishop Makarios – N. Pattichis Avenue.
>> Archbishop Makarios – Agia Zoni Avenue.
As has been predetermined, these points will work gradually and not all at the same time, for another reason: To give the system the opportunity to process new complaints so that there is no blockage as was initially the case with the first eight cameras that worked simultaneously (four mobile and four fixed).
In the meantime, the Electromechanical Service has sent letters to all state services that maintain a database with citizens' data, such as the Department of Road Transport, the Social Insurance Services, etc. to update their databases, receiving all the data of the citizens even their mobile phones and e-mail addresses. In this way, they will be easily identified, since many who have been reported refuse to receive their out-of-court documents.
As it has been established, tens of hundreds of citizens if not thousands, while they got a message on their mobile phone from the Post Office notifying them that they have a registered letter, however, because they suspected that it was an out-of-court complaint from the cameras, they deliberately did not go to pick it up. This phenomenon has been observed to occur on a large scale because some pointed out that the code sent to them was for an out-of-court complaint by cameras and not for the receipt of a parcel.
In this case, the extrajudicial document is not time-barred, but the managing company with its representative undertakes to identify the offender in person in order to serve the extrajudicial document on him. Under the law, the company can attempt twice to track down the offending driver. If it fails, then the baton for service is taken over by the Police. If again the offender is not identified then his details will be registered in a database and when he contacts a government Department he will be identified.
It should be noted, however, that in the places where new cameras have been installed, although the turn signals may flash, however, the drivers are not reported because of a trial use. It is advisable that drivers comply so that when they will operate normally they are familiar.
It is noted that from the date of operation of the photo-tagging system (1/1/2022) until December 19, 2022, a total of 144,081 traffic violations have been detected by the devices, while based on the recording of this number of offences, 79,622 extrajudicial fines were issued, of which 41,142 have been paid. In addition, from the devices, 80,429 traffic offences were recorded for which extrajudicial fines were issued. It is noted that the reason that traffic offences are more than extrajudicial fines, is due to the fact that in some cases more than one offence is included in the same extrajudicial document. As the Minister of Transport, Yiannis Karousos, has repeatedly mentioned, before a point enters official operation, drivers will be given time to be informed and familiarized with the new data.
By the way, it is reported that when the cameras are put into operation on Griva Digenis Avenue at its junction with Prodromou Avenue, then there will be three fixed points on a boulevard with cameras installed.
New damage to the cameras brought grumbling
New damage to the system with fixed cameras on Griva Digenis Avenue brought... flashing and moaning from the drivers.
Citizens saw the cameras reporting them the other day while they were moving within the frames, with the assistant director of the Traffic Headquarters, Haris Evripidou, assuring that no one would be denounced because a mistake was made. A similar phenomenon had occurred about six months ago and any complaints made in the meantime that the damage occurred did not count.
Mr. Evripidou said that the photo-tagging system is directly connected to the system that controls the traffic lights, therefore, the Police are immediately informed to be repaired. He also noted that any recordings made during the breakdown are then cancelled and never reach the drivers or even if it arrives they will not have to pay.
It is noted that the cameras can report a violation of the speed limit with the fine being proportional to the amount of speed, violation of a red traffic light with the extrajudicial fine amounting to € 300 and 3 penalty points. Also, there is the violation of the mandatory stop line at photo-controlled junctions (white line) with the extrajudicial fine being €25. Also, a driver can be caught using a mobile, not wearing a belt or helmet, accordingly.
POINT OF VIEW
Necessary evil the cameras
Many may resent the fact that cameras are a tax tool for citizens. But that is not the case. Anyone who moves within the frames has nothing to fear from the cameras. And we must see them as a means of reducing road collisions, especially fatal ones. Since their first year of arrival, fatalities have been reduced by 17.8%. It may or may not be accidental. The bottom line is that at the junction of Grivas Digenis and Demosthenes Severis avenues, which has been controlled for a year with cameras, not a single car accident has occurred.
So when we see cameras as a means to save lives, we have nothing to fear. Simple stuff.
