Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus MPs on Thursday challenged the government’s position that countdown timers at traffic lights cannot be installed alongside planned upgrades to the traffic camera system. The issue was discussed at the House transport committee.
Committee discussion
MPs from various parties again proposed countdown timers at traffic lights, saying the system would give motorists advance notice and help prevent fines for running a red light.
Officials from the department of public works told the committee that countdown timers would be incompatible with a smart traffic light system that authorities plan to introduce.
Government tender for smart traffic lights
Alexis Avgoustis, an official with the department, told parliamentarians that a public tender is under way for the installation of smart traffic lights, with the government aiming to award the €7 million contract by September.
He said companies participating in the tender had informed authorities that countdown timers are not compatible with smart lights because the new system uses dynamic switching.
Planned system capabilities
According to officials, smart traffic cameras use artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor traffic volume in real time and adjust green light intervals to reduce congestion.
The system also automatically reads licence plates, detects seatbelt infractions and identifies mobile phone usage.
Avgoustis said the new system would initially be deployed at 125 points in Nicosia and Limassol, with later expansion to the other districts.
Funding and political reaction
The project would be funded through the Thalia programme, a €1.81 billion multi-fund development strategy for Cyprus co-financed by EU Cohesion Policy Funds and national contributions.
MPs said they were not convinced by the explanation, questioning how the government planned to use artificial intelligence to monitor traffic while ruling out countdown timers.
Criticism from Akel
Akel MP Valentinos Fakontis described the traffic camera system as “the biggest theft at the expense of the public” and said it functions as a “tax collection mechanism”.
He said that despite the use of the system, road deaths have increased, and argued that ways should be found to make countdown timers work with the government’s smart system by 2027, when the current traffic cameras contract expires.
