A 16‑year‑old scooter rider died from his injuries at the weekend after being struck by a drunk driver in early August, a tragedy that underscores the dangers facing young road users. On the same Sunday, police in Paphos announced they had booked 34 scooter riders for various violations, highlighting an immediate enforcement response.
So far this year, Cypriot police have recorded over 5,100 scooter bookings, which works out to about twenty riders each day. Thousands of people use scooters across the island, and a significant share of them are minors. While official policy promotes electric transport to cut car numbers in cities, the push to reopen Makarios Avenue in Nicosia to cars shows a continuing car‑centric mindset. Most urban areas still lack continuous bike lanes, and many wide pavements in Nicosia that could have been converted remain unused for cycling.
The situation reflects an infrastructure gap and a set of contradictions that leave riders with little choice but to share roads with motor vehicles, even outside low‑speed zones. Authorities must ask: "Have we done everything we possibly can to accommodate all road users?" The answer appears to be no. Investing in proper cycling routes and a reliable public transport system would reduce reliance on both cars and scooters, potentially lowering the number of collisions and fatalities.