KONSTANTINOS IAKOVOU—Father of a scooter rider: “In
March 2025, Andreas was out for a ride in Limassol. He stepped onto the crosswalk, pressed the pedestrian button, and the light turned green for pedestrians. A car failed to stop at the red light and struck Andreas. He was taken to the hospital. He underwent three surgeries on his head and five on his knee to recover. “As we speak, the problem is that there is still some issue with his head, and there is a more serious problem with his knee because he can’t walk long distances and can’t perform certain movements.”

This is not just another isolated incident. It is the reality that many families, unfortunately, are experiencing due to the lawlessness surrounding scooter use on Cypriot roads. A year and a half after the accident involving Andreas, who was 17 at the time, and the subsequent tightening of the law, the situation remains unchanged, with one accident following another. In the last few days alone, a 16-year-old and a 56-year-old were critically injured and are fighting for their lives.

Calls to ban the use of scooters—at least until all the necessary infrastructure is in place—are growing louder.

KONSTANTINOS IAKOVOU—Father of a scooter rider: “This situation continues today
, and we’re seeing accidents happen. We have fatalities, but no infrastructure,”

“Unfortunately, our concerns have been confirmed,” says Alekos Tryfonidis, who, during his chairmanship of the Parliamentary Committee on Transportation, reintroduced the bill to ban the use of these vehicles. However—as he laments—the bill ran into political expediency.

ALEKOS TRYFONIDIS—Former Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Transportation 
“These vested interests primarily involved the coastal municipalities, which wanted to offer this mode of transportation to tourists in this unregulated manner, but also to the importers, many of whom—I admit—approached me to withdraw the legislation; however, I certainly did not do so, because I prioritized safety above all else.”

Within the next two months, the measure provided for in the legislation—which authorizes the impoundment of scooters when they are found to be operating in prohibited areas—is expected to take effect, when riders are under 17 years of age, and when they exceed a speed of 25 kilometers per hour.

WHEN WILL IMPOUNDING OCCUR? 
– Riding in prohibited areas –
Riders under 17 years of age –
Scooter speeds exceeding 25 km/h

The matter will be regulated by a decree issued by the Minister of Transportation.

CHARIS CHRISTODOULOU—Executive Engineer, Department of Public Works
Source: RIK Channel 3 “Our recommendation is that impoundment
will range from 30 days up to 90 days. The decree has been drafted. It will be put out for public consultation, sent to the legal department for a technical review, and then it can be issued.”

In reality, however, one of the biggest weaknesses lies in the audits themselves. 

See the report by Rafaella Stavrinou:

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