Today, the Supreme Constitutional Court unanimously recognized the law to unanimously adopted by the House of Representatives on March 13, 2025, which prescribed the installation of the reverse countdown on traffic lights with surveillance cameras.
The court ruled that the law violates Article 82 of the Constitution, since it may lead to an increase in state expenses not provided for by the budget. The judges noted that the implementation of the law will require additional costs to amend traffic lights, their reprogramming and possible transfer.
The court supported the position of the president of the republic, represented by the lawyer M. Antoniu, and rejected the arguments of the House of Representatives, which was represented by lawyer A. Emilianidis. The chamber claimed that it has unlimited sovereignty in the adoption of laws and the right to amend the amendments, which it considers necessary.
In response to the court’s decision, the ward introduced the ultimatum to the President, saying that if the timers are not established within six months, fixing violations of the rules for traveling to the red light will be suspended.
President of Christodulidis pointed to technical and constitutional reasons for the return of the law to the House of Representatives. He referred to the research of the Department of Public Works, which showed the incompatibility of the return system with intelligent traffic lights planned for installation at 125 intersections.
The President also expressed concern that the new system could cause confusion among drivers and potentially lead to accidents, and also noted that the failure to comply with the law will entail the abolition of fines for the red light, which would be a violation of the contract with the draft contractor.
Source: Philenews
