I was caught speeding by one of the new traffic cameras in Larnaca in May of this year. Yesterday, I received two letters containing speeding notices, one demanding a payment of 70 euros and the other 40 euros.
The notices did not provide any evidence or photographs. So, I visited their website and discovered that I had been issued two fines for the same incident. One camera captured my car from the front, and the other from the back. The timestamps on the photos are only five minutes apart, and it’s evident from the photos that it’s the same incident captured from two different angles.
Today, I visited the nearest police station to explain the situation. They informed me that it’s a private company and advised me to call them. I did as instructed and explained to the representative that I had indeed been speeding and was ready to pay the appropriate fine. However, I cannot be fined twice for the same offence.
Initially, she insisted that I had driven through the area twice, but the photos clearly show it’s the same incident, just taken by two separate cameras. She then threatened that if I didn’t pay both fines, I would be taken to court.
It’s one thing to photograph speeding drivers, which is a legitimate enforcement of traffic laws, but to charge someone twice for the same offence feels like a form of extortion to me. If this has happened to me, I suspect it’s happening to many other residents as well.
The cameras in question are located on T Mitsopoulou Avenue in Larnaca.
Juliane, Larnaca
