Tougher measures for young drivers?

THE government is set to ratify a bill which introduces stricter punishments for young drivers who break the law, as well as giving police the right to detain vehicles.

The proposed legislation, which is expected to be put forward to Parliament in the next two to three weeks, is looking at doubling the number of penalty points for people in the first three years of their driving licence. If after the first three years drivers have received twelve points on their licence, it will be confiscated and they will have to pass another driving test in order to get it back.

The bill will also increase the time allowed for someone to present their licence and insurance along with the relevant information to the police to 10 days. It is also expected to set out punishments for mechanics or anyone who has been involved in the modification of car engines, as it is not unusual for car engines to be customised in order to make them more powerful. Finally, police will be given the opportunity actually to detain vehicles while the courts will have the right to confiscate them.

The new legislation is being discussed after a dreadful start to the year on the roads, with three people – all young – losing their lives on the road in the first week of 2007. There was a considerable decrease in road deaths in 2006 compared to previous years, with police attributing the fall to their increasing road checks for speeding and alcohol tests.

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.