The six measures that the Department of Road Transport (DRT) will implement to address the issue of informing car owners about vehicle recalls were presented by the Minister of Transport, Communications, and Works, Alexis Vafeadis, to the Parliamentary Committee on Commerce. The committee revisited the issue of defective Takata airbags, linked to fatalities and severe injuries.

Minister Vafeadis also discussed legislative amendments under consideration by the DRT, such as requiring certification that no recalls are pending before registering a vehicle, prohibiting technical inspections (MOT) without proof of no pending recalls, and revoking MOT certificates if a recall is outstanding. These measures apply to vehicles meeting European specifications and imports from third countries.

“With these actions, public awareness will improve, and the completion of dangerous recalls will be enforced within a set timeframe,” Mr. Vafeadis stated, emphasizing that recalls are also issued for issues like fuel pumps and air conditioning systems.

However, the Minister’s statements failed to convince MPs. The committee chairman, Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, likened the situation to the Mari explosion, suggesting the Minister should resign.

In his remarks before the committee, Mr. Vafeadis acknowledged that the issue of notification primarily concerns vehicles imported from third countries (outside the EU), which he referred to as "grey cars." He explained that "the chain of communication has been broken" for these vehicles, which make up 60% of car registrations in Cyprus.

"For 60% of registrations, the chain of communication has been broken," he stated, adding that the manufacturer is unaware that the vehicle has been imported to Cyprus. "The problem is much greater for these vehicles, and a different approach is required," he added.

He also emphasized that, regarding recalls, "the responsibility lies with distributors and car importers, while the Department of Road Transport has the supervisory responsibility."

According to the Minister, the Department of Road Transport (DRT) requested that all manufacturers’ distributors provide online links through which citizens can easily check if there is a pending recall for their vehicle. These links will be posted on the DRT website.

Additionally, distributors have been sent lists of all vehicles of the same manufacturer and were asked to notify owners if there are any outstanding recalls.

As stated by the Minister, when a distributor notifies the DRT about the initiation of a recall and requests vehicle owner information to contact them, the DRT will send an informational SMS to the affected vehicle owners.

At the same time, the DRT will issue technical instructions to vehicle testing centers (IKTEO) to inform owners during inspections about the process of updating their personal information and the timeframe within which distributors must complete a recall. This aims to make inspections more effective. The DRT also plans to further publicize the issue to raise awareness about the importance of recalls.

Furthermore, Mr. Vefeadis mentioned that the DRT is considering three amendments to the relevant laws. These include amending the Vehicle Type Approval Law to require a certificate from the manufacturer’s distributor confirming no outstanding recalls for both new and imported vehicles during registration or transfer. This applies to all vehicles, both new and imported.

Another proposed amendment involves the law governing vehicle testing centers (IKTEO), which would prohibit periodic inspections unless a certificate from the distributor confirms no pending recall. There is also a proposed amendment to the Vehicle Type Approval Law for immediate withdrawal of a vehicle’s roadworthiness if a recall is pending. This last amendment could be applied to vehicles with European type approval but would require additional information from manufacturers for vehicles imported from third countries.

Meanwhile, a corresponding bill by MPs Hadjiyiannis, Nikos Sykas, and Stavros Papadouris will be discussed in the Parliamentary Transport Committee on Thursday. It proposes prohibiting vehicle registration and issuing MOT certificates if a recall is pending.

After the committee meeting, Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis referred to the issue as a "public danger" and criticized the Minister for merely describing procedures and bureaucracy "without anything specific" or any political decisions being made on the matter.

"The government is absent regarding a public danger. What differentiates this public danger from the Mari explosion? Ministers resigned then, as they did in other cases involving murders. What is most concerning is that they do not grasp the scale of the problem," he said. Asked if he was calling for the Minister of Transport's resignation, Hadjiyiannis said it was a matter of assuming responsibility, adding, "Someone managing a problem but remaining a silent spectator should take responsibility for an issue that has been identified, as lives are at risk."

MP Kostas Kostas of AKEL criticized the fact that only 50% of import companies had responded to DRT’s requests for information. "Now, they are trying to raise public awareness after losing a second person—a young woman who likely died due to a defective Takata airbag," he concluded.

Stavros Papadouris of the Green Party stated that the issue affects over 12,000 vehicles identified through the Rapex system as well as 18,000 additional used vehicles imported. He argued that the problem could be addressed more quickly if the proposed bill were passed urgently instead of relying on government legislation, which would take longer.

"With the Minister's consent, we can pass it within a week. If the issue is urgent, we must act immediately," he added.

During the session, a citizen reported discovering his vehicle had a defective Takata airbag. The manufacturer advised immobilizing the vehicle until the airbag was replaced at their expense. However, the Mitsubishi dealership in Cyprus dismissed him and told him to contact Japan.

It was also mentioned that Toyota and Mazda importers in Cyprus charge €160 and €75, respectively, for inspections to determine whether vehicles have problematic airbags.