Parliamentarians on Tuesday renewed calls on car dealerships to fully cooperate on the issue of faulty Takata airbags, stressing that the government will regardless press on with efforts to alert owners of affected vehicles.

After a closed-door session of the House transport committee, Dipa MP Marinos Mousiouttas said they had been informed about “important actions” undertaken by authorities to alert as many affected drivers as possible

“However, this process did not develop as initially planned because the response from importers was not what we expected,” Mousiouttas said.

Officials from the transport ministry and the attorney-general’s office had attended the meeting.

Some of the importers cooperated in full by furnishing the necessary data and by alerting drivers whose cars are equipped with a Takata airbag.

“But other importers did not respond adequately,” the MP added.

Having realised the need for immediate action, and without waiting for the importers to cooperate, the transport ministry meantime sought alternative ways to track the affected vehicles and alert their owners.

This included tapping into other databases or collaborating with organised groups who could provide data.

“Whereas this process requires more time and resources, it’s crucial to ensure people’s safety and to eliminate the risk posed by these defective airbags.”

Another challenge, the MP said, is that several importers do not consider it their responsibility to issue a certificate regarding the existence or not of the faulty airbag.

As a result, the transport ministry is currently working on a new method allowing the issuance of such certificates, regardless of whether importers cooperate or not.

“This new process is expected to be activated as soon as possible, with the aim to resolve pending issues and safely inform people.”

In the interim, the ministry is waiting on the attorney-general’s office to issue two opinions on how to handle the matter legally.

Despite the ongoing difficulties, Mousiouttas said the relevant departments have engaged proactively “in a bid to ensure public safety and restore normalcy”.

He went on to appeal to all involved agencies and groups to work together to solve the problem “as fast as possible and in the least painful way”.

The issue of faulty Takata airbags has been ongoing for almost two years, and linked to at least two deaths on the island.

The defect is related to exposure to high levels of heat or humidity, with Takata airbags having a tendency to explode when released under such circumstances. This then shoots the airbag’s metal inflator outwards and in the direction of the person it was designed to protect, potentially causing further injuries or, in some cases, death.

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades is expected to issue a decree next month dealing with the matter. Among other things, the decree would disqualify affected cars from MOT inspection, in a bid to keep them off the road.