Cyprus’ Supreme Constitutional Court on Monday ruled that a new law requiring countdown timers on traffic lights monitored by cameras is unconstitutional.

The law, passed by the House of representatives on March 13, would have forced the state to install timers showing drivers how many seconds remain before lights change.

The court found the law violates article 82 of the constitution because it imposes additional costs not included in the state budget.

In a unanimous ruling, the judges said that the planned changes would need new equipment, software updates and physical adjustments to the current traffic light system.

All these steps would require extra public funds, which parliament had not budgeted for.

The court sided with President Nikos Christodoulides, whose legal representative, lawyer M. Antoniou, argued that the law should be rejected on both constitutional and technical grounds. Lawyer A. Emilianides, representing parliament, claimed that MPs have full legislative power, including the right to amend laws even if they create budgetary changes.

The court disagreed.

According to the president’s submission, countdown timers would clash with a new “smart light” system due to be installed at 125 junctions across the country. These advanced lights adapt to traffic flow in real-time.

A countdown system, officials argued, would confuse drivers and create safety risks, especially at busy crossings.

President Christodoulides also warned that forcing the government to add timers within six months, as the law demanded, would violate Cyprus’ contract with the private company managing the red-light camera system.

The law included the threat that if timers were not installed in time, the cameras would stop recording red light offences.

The court accepted the president’s concerns, stating clearly that no new law should increase state spending unless those costs are already approved by Parliament in the national budget.

The ruling blocks the timer installation and allows the state to continue its rollout of smart traffic lights without delay.