A major issue is created for the government with the seven proposals of laws of MPs concerning photolabelling and which will be put before the Plenary of the Parliament tomorrow for voting or rejection.
The government does not agree with most of them, since some are considered to be unconstitutional (payment of extrajudicial fees by instalments) and some unenforceable due to compatibility with the traffic light system (timer on the arrow on the right). Transport Minister Alexis Vafeadis had told the members of the Transport Committee that the proposal to extend the payment of the extrajudicial fee to 90 days, which would be equivalent to three monthly instalments, could be accepted.
However, the MPs insisted on their proposals and it was even suggested by some that if they were not accepted, a law could be passed abolishing phototagging, at huge cost to the citizen.
In view of the serious situation created, a meeting was held yesterday at the Ministry of Transport, attended by Ministers Alexis Vafeadis and Justice Marios Hartsiotis, representative of the Legal Service and official officials. According to information provided by "F", various proposals were put forward during the meeting in order to resolve the impasse in which the government side finds itself, so as not to cancel the system, which cost citizens about 36 million euros.
According to our information, the proposal was made to abolish the violations concerning the two white lines that exist today and are punished with various extrajudicial measures (to remain only the €25 extrajudicial one) so that there is no confusion for citizens and to retain the extrajudicial ones concerning the violation of the red light, the speed limit and the arrow on the right. This recommendation will be examined by the Legal Service whether it can be legally enforced due to the contract with the contractor, in an attempt to dispel Members' concerns.
Those involved in the photo-tagging management system believe that if all seven bills are passed as they are, then in essence the cameras will be cancelled, since the laws that will be passed will be unenforceable. For example, as mentioned in the meeting, the mandatory application of a timer to light-controlled intersections at which there are cameras cannot be implemented since the system that regulates the lights is not compatible. Both the Department of Public Works and the Traffic Police disagree with this regulation, since it is considered that apart from the practical problems there will be many road accidents.
The seven bill proposals of the DISY, AKEL and ELAM MPs (they are separate) provide for the payment of extrajudicial fines in monthly instalments, the payment of the extrajudicial fee from 45 days today to 90 days and the application of a timer to traffic lights within six months from the adoption of the law. In view of the opinion of the Legal Service, it is expected that contacts will be made with MPs and parties in order to find a middle ground, so as not to vote on proposals that create trouble and put into trouble a system that has reduced deaths and serious injuries, although it has also brought several problems to drivers.
Everything will be clarified tomorrow Thursday in plenary, when it will become clear whether the government side, through the Minister of Transport, will come up with a proposal to abolish two violations that were reported by the cameras and had caused enough confusion to drivers. It is recalled that the Parliament has voted more than four months ago a proposal for a law to move the lights on which the cameras are installed due to the violation lines on the roadway, but it has not yet been implemented since it needs approval from the Reviewing Authority for Changes and Requirements and a cost estimated at more than one million euro.
