Twenty-six bus drivers employed by Limassol public transport operator EMEL are at risk of losing their professional driving licences after automated traffic cameras caught hundreds of infractions across the coastal city. According to data provided by the company, a total of 560 violation notices involving 103 drivers were issued between 24 February 2024 and 31 May 2025. The accumulated penalties stand at €137,840 in fines and 1,409 penalty points. Internal calculations suggest that 26 drivers are likely to surpass the critical 16-point threshold that triggers an automatic suspension of a professional licence once all pending notices undergo formal review.
The vast majority of the recorded offences involve signal infractions rather than excessive speed. Out of the 560 notices, 432 were issued for running red lights and 126 for crossing the white stop line, while only two were for speeding. More than half of all citations were generated at just two high-traffic locations: 159 on 28 Oktovriou Avenue along the seafront and 134 on Amathountos Avenue. EMEL buses cross camera-monitored intersections approximately 2,000 times each day. The company's heavily used Route 30 alone accounts for roughly 1,600 camera passes daily across eight of the network's 13 camera points, forcing individual drivers on the route to pass enforcement cameras up to 64 times in a single shift.
EMEL emphasized that many violations occur because drivers face a split-second choice between braking abruptly or proceeding through a changing light. Video footage reviewed by the operator shows heavy 12-metre, 20-tonne buses traveling at 15 to 20 km/h just two to three metres from an intersection when the signal transitions from amber to red. Emergency braking under such momentum presents severe safety risks for passengers on board, particularly standing riders who could fall and sustain serious injuries.
Addressing the growing unrest among staff, EMEL spokesman Petros Theocharides told Phileleftheros that the company has presented specific remedial proposals to the House transport committee. The operator is advocating for the installation of electronic countdown timers at traffic signals, extending amber light durations, and implementing vehicle-recognition technology to extend green phases for approaching buses where feasible. EMEL also requested legislative amendments to raise the penalty-point ceiling for professional licence holders and expressed its readiness to collaborate with Limassol innovation companies to pilot smart traffic solutions.