North to make young people pay more to drive
The north is set to increase the cost of car insurance and road tax for young people, ‘transport minister’ Erhan Arikli said on Thursday.
Speaking to Gundem Kibris TV, he said one of the main reasons behind the north’s high rates of road traffic incidents is young drivers.
“The reason for careless driving may be the driver’s licence system, but the younger generation has very luxurious cars. Young people drive fast to satisfy themselves. The vehicles [they drive] allow this to happen, and their families do not think about the end result,” he said.
As a result, he said, the ‘government’ is set to introduce a “special measure” to ensure that young people in the north pay more to use the roads, both in terms of road tax and car insurance prices.
The working definition of “young” seems not to have yet been decided, with suggestions of drivers aged both under 25 and 30 years old having been made to the Cyprus Mail by ‘government’ representatives.
In addition to the increased costs for young people, Arikli said the maximum punishment for causing death for dangerous driving is set to be increased to 14 years in prison.
The current maximum sentence is seven years, and the north’s cabinet had in April approved an increase in the maximum penalty to 10 years, though Arikli is now pushing that further.
“These current penalties are far from being a deterrent. What is a deterrent is the measures we are trying to take now. If you threaten me with 14 years, I will know that if I have an accident and kill someone, I will spend my youth behind bars,” he said.