Helmet law to be enforced from Monday

AS OF Monday, November 1, helmets will be compulsory for all motorcyclists and their passengers, everywhere.

The law on helmets will finally be enforced from, despite the initial objections from political parties.

Helmets became compulsory from July 1 for riders of all motor cycles, including mopeds, but there was a grace period until July 12 before the law was to be enforced.

On July 14, however, the House of Representatives decided to postpone implementation of the law until the end of October,

giving time for all sides who raised objections to submit their proposals on the issue.

Recent reports, however, say that the issue will not be discussed in the plenum, and that objecting deputies will withdraw their proposals.

Disy and Diko are understood to have decided not to support further postponement of the law, a stance now upheld by Akel. Akel had tabled a bill in July seeking an amendment to the law on crash helmets.

The communist party was seeking a provision exempting riders of motorcycles under 50cc in urban areas from having to wear helmets.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.