POLICE have launched a campaign to clamp down on improper car registration plates, warning perpetrators that they could face up to three years behind bars if they fail to comply.
The national campaign is set to begin next Monday, with Traffic Police saying that they will heighten road checks with severe punishments dished out to anyone that does not conform to the law.
The root of the problem in Cyprus can be attributed to the fact that car registration plates are not the responsibility of the state – as happens in other European Union member states – but are handed out by private companies, who tend to customise designs.
With this campaign, police are trying to stop vehicle owners from experimenting with their registration plates, to promote uniformity in all vehicles.
An announcement from the Traffic Police Department outlines the exact legislation regarding registration plates:
l Using a vehicle before it has been registered is prohibited, except in cases where the law allows for this, for example in the case of test-driving.
l Every registered vehicle must have two number plates, one at the front and one at the back.
l The plates must be of rectangular size, made of reflective material, coloured white on the front and yellow on the back of the vehicle.
l The numbers and letters must be black and have a height of 90 millimetres, a thickness of 16 millimetres and the total width of a number or letter, except from the number 1, must be 64 millimetres.
l The measurements of the numbers and letters on motorcycle plates should not be smaller than half the size of the above dimensions.
l Registration plates should be visible during the night, while their visibility should not be restricted at any stage. Placing other numbers or letters near the plates and driving with dirty number plates is not allowed.
Drivers have been warned that they could face severe reprimands if they do not follow the law on the issue of car registration plates.
In the same announcement, police have said that in the case that a vehicle does not carry number plates or the number plates do not comply with the above guidelines, then the driver of the vehicle could face up to a year in prison or a fine of £1,000, or both charges.
If the driver is found to have voluntarily refused to comply with these rules, then the financial penalty may be as high as £1,500 and/or three years behind bars.
In these cases, the authorities also reserve the right to withhold the vehicle in police custody until the impending investigation is completed.
