Traffic offences up 37 per cent

TRAFFIC offences went up by 37 per cent last year compared to the year before, with 180,000 traffic offences recorded in 2007, said acting head of Traffic Police Demetris Demetriou.

Demetriou said the increased number of traffic violations meant more cases would be going to court, adding to the huge backlog already clogging up the legal system.

In 2006, 131,000 traffic charges were made, including on-the-spot fines and traffic offences requiring court proceedings. Last year, this figure increased to 180,000, with the proportion of court cases also rising.

“We proposed to the Justice Ministry that certain offences be dealt with using on-the-spot fines instead of the court, so we can decrease the bureaucratic process. The ministry is currently seeking the opinion of interested parties, like the municipalities,” said Demetriou.

Traffic violations that end up in court but could be replaced by on-the-spot fines include: road tax violations, illegal parking on the highway and drink-driving.

According to yesterday’s Phileleftheros, there are currently 9,000 criminal cases involving traffic offences pending before the Nicosia District Court, which will take at least a year to be heard.

Police Chief Iacovos Papacostas was quoted in the paper highlighting the need for more judges to deal with traffic-related cases. At present, only one court handles traffic offences.

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