Today, October 19th, the General Assembly will determine whether the Transport Minister will have the authority to implement measures to reduce pollution from road transportation through decrees.

According to the bill set for a vote today, the Transport Minister will have the ability to:

A. Designate areas with low or zero emissions.

B. Prohibit the movement of certain types of vehicles based on geographical or time-based restrictions in relation to the level of pollution they emit.

C. Set a date after which the registration of vehicles, which don't meet specific emission standards, will be forbidden.

D. Impose fees for vehicles operating in specific areas or roads based on their pollution levels.

E. Regulate speed limits and parking provisions in low emission zones.

However, this move has sparked concerns among automobile importers. During the discussion at the Transportation Committee, a representative of the Association of Motor and Electric Vehicle Importers expressed apprehension about the government's plan to set a cut-off date for the registration of vehicles not meeting pollution control technology standards or carbon dioxide emission limits. They argued that such matters are already regulated by EU law. Additionally, written suggestions were submitted on provisions such as pollution control technology standards for local government vehicles and public transport vehicles.

As for the residents of the affected areas, the bill proposes incentives and compensatory measures. However, there has been disagreement from the representative of the Cyprus Transport Association on the latter part.