The company operating traffic cameras across Cyprus gets paid a fixed, pre-agreed rate that does not depend on the number of recorded traffic violations, the transport ministry said on Tuesday, after MPs suggested the government is playing fast and loose with the system.

The matter came up at the House finance committee, as the transport ministry has requested an additional €3.9 million for this year to pay the company operating the traffic cameras.

The extra funds requested include the ‘Photo Radar List’ – an application which identifies people with unpaid traffic fines at airports and harbours as well as at crossing points to the north.

The app is operated by the same company.

MPs said the matter of identifying and stopping passengers had been discussed previously at the House legal affairs committee, which stated unequivocally that this practice is unlawful.

Lawmakers said that people can only be stopped with a court-issued warrant.

The fact that the government is now requesting the funds for the ‘Photo Radar List’ shows that it intends to bring the system “in through the back door”, said Akel MP Aristos Damianou.

Damianou surmised that the ‘Photo Radar List’ app may already be operational in some cases – even though parliament never approved the funds for it.

“Naturally the state should enforce the law, but the state must not act like a mafia that deceives people,” he remarked.

Stopping passengers at airports, and for traffic fines which they may not even be aware of, is “a serious violation of their rights,” he added.

In parliament, government officials were unable to provide satisfactory answers.

MPs will summon the transport minister and other officials to grill them next week.

Contacted by the Cyprus Mail, Damianou said parliament would not give the nod to the €3.9 million – and definitely not for the ‘Photo Radar List’.

Parliamentarians are also suspicious at to why the government seeks more funds at all for the traffic camera system, since the rates are supposedly pre-agreed.

Later on Tuesday, the transport ministry issued a clarification of sorts.

It said the software used to serve fines at airports, harbours and crossing points was deemed “perfectly lawful and in line with existing legislation of the Republic of Cyprus”.

But it added that the serving of fines at airports and harbours would not be implemented “at this stage”.

Asked about this, Damianou said the incongruous statement sounds like an indirect admission that the serving of fines in this way is not lawful.

“They insist it’s lawful, but then they also say they won’t implement it for now – whatever. Anyway, let them try to implement it in the future. Even the attorney-general says there’s no legal basis for it.”

Regarding the general arrangement between the government and the company operating the traffic cameras, the transport ministry said the company receives no payment or commission tied to traffic violations, reports of traffic violations or the payment of traffic fines.

Rather, payments to the company are based on the hours of operation of the fixed and mobile traffic cameras, per an agreed per-hour rate.

Fixed cameras operate 24/7, whereas the mobile cameras operate under a schedule drawn up by the police.