TRNC introduces AI-powered traffic cameras starting August 16, 2025. Initially monitoring four key violations—speeding, seatbelts, phone use, and insurance—the system aims to reduce accidents, not raise revenue.
Smarter Roads Ahead: AI Traffic Cameras Go Live
Minister of Construction and Transport Erhan Arıklı has announced that AI-powered traffic cameras will officially begin operating across the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on August 16, 2025.
Until the end of the year, the cameras will only record four key violations:
- 🚗 Speeding
- 🚫 Not wearing a seatbelt
- 📱 Using a phone while driving
- 📋 Driving without insurance
Other violations will trigger only warnings until legal adjustments are finalized.
💡 Technology With a Purpose
Minister Arıklı emphasized that the cameras are “designed to save lives, not to generate revenue.”
- The system was provided free of charge by Turkey, with the software alone valued at €5 million.
- Cameras are placed in the locations of older equipment.
- The Constitutional Court has approved their use, ensuring full legal compliance.
“Law-abiding drivers have nothing to fear,” Arıklı stressed.
📊 Expanding Coverage for Safer Roads
Currently, 150 AI cameras are operational. The rollout will expand to 300 by the end of 2025 and 600 by next year, enabling full monitoring of TRNC roads.
This initiative comes in response to alarming statistics: 80 people have died in road accidents in the last 18 months.
🚧 What’s Next for Drivers?
- Warning signs are being prepared to inform drivers of monitored areas.
- Authorities are considering raising the speed limit from 100 km/h to 120 km/h on certain sections of road.
- Full enforcement of all traffic violations will begin once the necessary legal framework is updated.
✅ The AI traffic camera initiative marks a major step forward in road safety for North Cyprus, aiming to protect lives while modernizing traffic enforcement. northcyprusinvesting.com, Investra.io