Cyprus is facing growing concern over the driving behaviour of rental car users.
According to data presented by Minister of Justice Marios Hartsiotis in response to a parliamentary question from DISY MP Prodromos Alambritis, between 2022 and May 2025, approximately 17,222 traffic violations were recorded involving vehicles with “Z” licence plates — the designation used for rental cars.
Citing official information from the Chief of Police, the Minister noted that only 1,400 drivers have been identified by rental companies so far, with 800 having already paid their fines. Thousands of other cases remain pending. Around 8,277 cases are still under review, while 6,745 violations remain without an identified driver, highlighting the challenges of tracking offenders — particularly tourists — in the island’s rental sector.
When a traffic violation is detected by a rental vehicle, the police send a formal notice to the car rental company requesting details of the driver responsible. If the vehicle was rented to a Cypriot resident or a local company, the driver’s details are submitted electronically through the eTOL system, allowing an immediate issuance of a fine.
However, cases involving foreign visitors are significantly more complicated. The process requires full registration of the visitor’s details in the police’s electronic fine system — a procedure that, as the Minister admitted, has not yet been fully implemented. This technical gap continues to hinder consistent law enforcement across all driver categories. In response to the growing issue, the Ministry of Transport has already introduced a draft amendment bill for public consultation. The proposed legislation aims to streamline how violation notices are delivered to rental car drivers and to close existing legal loopholes.
At the same time, the Traffic Department has been instructed to assess whether the proposed measures will effectively address the practical issues currently faced by police. The broader objective of the reform is to ensure equal enforcement of the law and greater transparency in handling traffic violations, regardless of whether the vehicle is privately owned or rented.
Cyprus, as a leading Mediterranean tourism destination, sees tens of thousands of rental vehicles on its roads each year. Officials emphasize that strengthening digital infrastructure and legislation is essential not only for road safety, but also for maintaining the country’s international reputation as a responsible and modern travel destination. MP Prodromos Alambritis’s parliamentary inquiry focused on the need for full implementation of the traffic camera monitoring system, ensuring that no exceptions are made for rental cars. He stressed that road safety depends on equal accountability for both residents and tourists.
In his response, Minister Hartsiotis acknowledged that the current system has notable weaknesses, but assured that the government is actively working to establish a new legislative and technological framework to ensure fairness, efficiency, and safety on Cyprus’s roads.
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