Road Network

Cyprus has developed a modern road network in the past few years. According to 2002 statistics, the road network in Cyprus consist of about 7.206 km of tarred and 4.387 km of un-tarred roads.

The Public Works Department of the Ministry of Communications and Works has the responsibility for the maintenance, improvement and construction of motorways, the majority of rural and interurban road networks and the main urban roads. The Municipalities are responsible for the secondary and local urban roads; the District Administration Authorities are responsible for the tarred and un-tarred district roads and village roads. The Forestry Department is responsible for the most of unpaved roads in forest areas in order to accommodate the administration and protection of forests.

The existing road network includes four lane highways connecting all the cities and districts of Cyprus. The highway network is continuously developed while at the same time the improvement and upgrading of urban roads are promoted as well.

Road Transport

The road transport services are performed by the private sector as provided by Law. Routes and time tables of urban and rural buses and taxis are fixed by the Licensing Authority. The fares for all the passenger service vehicles are fixed by the Minister of Communications and Works.

All motor vehicles circulating in Cyprus need a motor vehicle license issued by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. Public service motor vehicles also need special road service licenses, which are issued by the Licensing Authority, an independent body appointed by the Council of Ministers.

A visitor holding a valid driving license of his country or an international driving license can drive on the roads of Cyprus. Visitors importing a motor vehicle temporarily for their personal use, which is accompanied by a proper certificate of registration and a valid circulation license, are not obliged to register and they can use it on the roads of Cyprus. If the vehicle is not accompanied by the above documents, the owner must apply to the Deputy Registrar of Motor Vehicles within 15 days from the date of importation, for securing a temporary registration certificate. In case the foreign circulation license of a motor vehicle expires during its stay in Cyprus, the importer must pay to the Department of Road Transport the circulation fees.

Before driving on the roads of Cyprus, a third party insurance cover by a Cyprus insurance company is essential unless the importer of the vehicle is in possession of an International Insurance Certificate (green card).

Merchant Shipping

The Cyprus Registry has shown phenomenal growth in the last twenty years. In the early eighties Cyprus ranked thirty-second on the list of leading maritime nations. It now ranks sixth with a merchant fleet exceeding 2000 vessels of 24 million gross tons.
As regards the further development of Cyprus merchant shipping and the enhancement of its international reputation as a maritime flag, the government has concluded cooperation agreements on merchant shipping with other countries. It also participates as a full member in the activities of all international organizations, which are involved in the area of shipping. Cyprus has also ratified several international conventions, which are in force all over the world.

Cyprus is considered as one of the leading third-party ship management centers in the world. The island’s strategic location, which is at the crossroads of three continents (Europe, Asia, Africa), together with a unique package of advantages such as the legal system, high level of professionalism in the legal and accounting sectors, excellent banking services, telecommunications and air links to all important destinations has enabled Cyprus to play a prominent role in its success as an international business centre, including shipping related activities.

Airports

Larnaca International Airport is located in the southeast of the island near the popular resort of the same name and receives a lot of air traffic in the summer months, mainly from the UK, Scandinavia and Germany. Larnaca Airport has one terminal and is busiest from May to November. Intercity buses provide public transport to Larnaca and other towns and cities in Cyprus, while there are also taxis operating from outside the terminal.

Paphos International Airport is located in the west of the island and serves the nearby resorts of Limassol and Coral Bay. Paphos Airport is a small facility with minimal services, but it receives about 1.5-million passengers per year who mainly arrive on flights operated by charter airlines. Situated just east of the city, buses provide access to Paphos and other nearby resorts, while taxis will take you anywhere you want to go.