Filenews 2 February 2026
An open letter to the House of Representatives was sent today by the organizations Pensioners' Branch of PASYDY, Observatory for the Elderly of Cyprus, Organization of Elderly Citizens of Cyprus (OPREPO) and Pancyprian Union of Pensioners (PESY-SEK), calling on MPs to "not succumb to pressure from insurance companies regarding the amendment of the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Liability Insurance) (Amendment) Law of 2025".
As they note, the non-voting of the relevant amendments (an article debate will take place today at 11 am in the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights) "will allow the continuation of the blatant violation of the human rights of older drivers by insurance companies".
This letter
Ladies and Gentlemen MPs,
The organizations Pensioners' Branch of PASYDY, the Cyprus Observatory for the Elderly, the Organization of Elderly Citizens of Cyprus (OPREPO) and the Pancyprian Association of Pensioners (PESY-SEK), front-line organizations for older people, are forced to address this open letter to you, because we have been informed that the insurance companies have begun to exert the well-known pressure on you in order to influence the voting of the relevant amendment on vehicle insurance against by citizens aged 70 and over.
The letter is being sent before you not as a request, but as a demand of civil society, our elderly fellow citizens and their families, who are experiencing unprecedented and degrading racism in relation to vehicle insurance. The state does not have the right to require a citizen to be a legal and insured driver, but to turn a blind eye when access to insurance turns into a privilege for a few. The state cannot turn a blind eye when insurance companies operate as a state within a state, exceeding all tolerance limits.
When people over the age of 70 are collectively punished with exorbitant charges or by refusing coverage, without individualized judgment and without transparent justification, then we are not talking about a free market but about a blatant violation of human rights and social exclusion. This fact has been discussed many times in two Parliamentary Committees of the Parliament which, in two separate studies, have proven beyond any doubt that insurance companies operate in a way that violates the terms of equality and a host of other human rights. That is, they apply a measure of discrimination against a large part of the population, even though studies and relevant data show that older drivers are responsible for only ±3.5% of road accidents.
It is inconceivable, in a state governed by the rule of law, that a citizen who is deemed capable by the State of driving and holds a legal driver's license, is de facto "cancelled" by private for-profit companies. Since when does the judgment of a private insurer prevail over state certification?
In the parliamentary procedures, the crucial question has already been asked: what are the objective, actuarial data that justify horizontal increases and horizontal denials due to age? And, above all, why does the citizen not have in his hands a simple, self-evident right: to know in writing, documented, the reason why he is rejected or punished? In order to solve this serious problem, your Committee is studying a proposal for a law with the aim of sending it soon to the plenary session of the Parliament for a vote.
In our humble opinion, this proposal should necessarily contain the following three provisions, which are based on elementary, European self-evident:
- That insurance companies are obliged to insure for liability against a third party every citizen who has a legal and valid driving license and does not have the right to question the ability to drive. That is, a ban on age discrimination in insurance, unless there is documentation with objective and actuarial data.
- That insurance companies cannot increase premiums based solely on age, but in case of an increase in the premium, they will have to give a detailed and sufficient justification in writing, which will not focus on age. That is, mandatory written justification for any refusal or unfavourable treatment, so that there is accountability and a real possibility of appeal and control.
- It must include dissuasive penalties when insurance companies break the law. That is, sanctions when the rules are violated, because without consequences, the law becomes just a wish.
Statements of sympathy on television and radio and findings in the Parliamentary Committees are no longer enough. As Civil Society organizations, we demand that:
- Refuse to succumb to the pressures of the lobby of insurance companies. We know their power and the pressures they are exerting, but your power comes from the people from whom you will ask for their vote next May. Do not allow business interests to legislate at the expense of human rights.
- Vote for the amendment of the legislation. We demand legal protection that obliges companies to insure every legal holder of a driving license, with fair premiums and without abusive terms.
- Protect the dignity of elders. Driving for an elderly person is not a luxury; It is his autonomy, his access to the doctor, his contact with society. Its deprivation through economic strangulation is an immoral act and a flagrant violation of human rights.
It is already heard from the insurance companies: "if you protect the elderly, the premiums for the rest will increase". This is not an argument of fairness; It is an unprecedented blackmailing dilemma. If a market cannot function without opacity, without justification and with collective "penalties" in one age group, then the problem is not the protection of rights. The problem is the absence of rules.
The elderly are not "veterans" of life, nor a "high risk" to be deleted. They are active citizens and, don't forget, they are also voters with memory. We invite you to rise to the occasion. Vote FOR the amendment of the law. Prove in practice that Man is above Profits. If today we accept that "age equals exclusion", tomorrow the same logic will find a new target. The job of the Parliament is to stop this slippage, not to legitimize it.
We look forward to your actions in plenary.
The organizations:
Pensioners' Branch of PASYDY, Cyprus Observatory for the Elderly, Organization of Elderly Citizens of Cyprus (OPREPO), Pancyprian Association of Pensioners (PESY-SEK).
