DISY deputy Lefteris Christoforou has called on the government to implement proposals so Cypriot drivers can buy newer cars.
Speaking to reporters outside the House of Representatives yesterday, Christoforou said it was about time the government took the initiative to solve the current problem.
“I believe that the time has now come, especially after we put the proposal of this plan forward about a year ago, for the government to look into it seriously as well as take responsibility for all the old cars clogging up Cyprus’ roads.
“Similar measures have proved successful in other countries in the European Union. We believe that Cyprus has the worst record, compared to other EU states, when it comes to old cars that are still being driven around. Half of the cars still in circulation in Cyprus today are over 10 years old, 40 per cent of the cars on today’s roads are between 10 and 20 years old and 12 per cent of the cars are over 20 years old.”
Christoforou also explained how the problem could worsen if measures were not taken in the near future. “If you look at the average age of a car in the European Union you will see that it is about five years old. In fact they are now trying to lower that average. And if you take into consideration that our average is 13, then fixing the problem becomes more difficult.”
Although not giving exact details as to how to solve the problem, Christoforou did say that the measures aim to make car purchasing more tax friendly. “I believe that the Ministry of Works and all the other concerned departments will move in the direction of solving the problem immediately and take specific measures, which we cannot release at this moment in time, so as to allow every Cypriot citizen who wishes to replace his older vehicle with a newer one, a better tax motivation.”
He said this measure was part of a European strategy on the subject of cars. “This proposal will in the end favour every citizen, the state, society, the economy and of course safety on Cyprus’ roads.”
Another worry for his party was what he believed to be government neglect concerning other problems. “Another issue that we would like the government to look into is the problem regarding people driving older cars, who are usually pensioners or lower income people. These people are sometimes paying more in running costs than the actual value of the car.”
The DISY deputy also pointed out the significant environmental benefits of the proposal.
“Various environmentalists who have been studying this measure, apart from being satisfied by the fact that it will mean more unleaded fuels on the market, are satisfied because there will be a reduction in fuel, reduction in emissions but will also be satisfied with the better standard of cars which will be positive for the image of Cyprus as well as for safety on our roads.”
Christoforou summed up by saying: “What we are asking for is nothing less than what the EU has. Some of the measures in the European Union enable their citizens to buy newer cars were at more tax friendly prices. In some European states, a consumer could save between £1,000 to £2,000 pounds if he or she bought a new car.”
