Anyone caught riding their horse dangerously or at excessive speed on a public road will face an on-the-spot fine of €85. The same fine applies to anyone who decides to stretch a clothesline across the street to dry their laundry - or to those who shake out rugs or other household items onto the road from their windows or balconies.
These curious offences are among a list included in a Justice Ministry bill tabled yesterday in Parliament. The purpose of the bill is procedural: to transfer the existing municipal fines into the new Municipalities Law, which came into force following the recent Local Government reform.
While the update may appear purely administrative, the Union of Cyprus Municipalities will need to modernise the list of fixed penalties, removing outdated or irrelevant offences that no longer reflect contemporary realities. After all, if municipalities were to apply the law literally, residents could soon be fined for… shaking their carpets over the street.
Offences carrying an €85 fine
Under the Justice Ministry’s draft legislation, the following offences remain punishable by municipal on-the-spot fines of €85:
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Riding or driving any vehicle - including a horse - at excessive speed or dangerously.
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Obstructing a road by stretching a rope, cord or pole across it, or by hanging clothes to dry, advertisements, placards, slogans or other items.
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Shaking or dusting carpets or similar objects into the street from any part of a house or building.
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Blocking a public road deliberately with a vehicle, cart, animal or other object.
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Keeping a dog without a licence or one that is unregistered and unmarked.
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Owning or keeping a dog in breach of the Dogs Law.
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Providing false information to mislead the authorities during the registration or inspection of a dog.
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Allowing a dog into areas where dogs are prohibited.
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Causing a public nuisance through loud or continuous barking.
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Street trading without a licence.
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Operating leisure or entertainment venues without the required permit.
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Leaving an animal unattended or unrestrained.
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Leaving dangerous openings in roads or pavements (such as pits or open drains) that could endanger the public.
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Pouring or discharging water or other liquids onto a road or roadside channel.
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Obstructing a road by leaving or installing unnecessary objects, or by extending awnings, shutters or other projections over a public street lower than 12 metres from the ground.
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Displaying goods for sale in a way that protrudes onto a public street or obstructs pedestrian access.
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Rolling or moving barrels, ladders, planks, poles or timber along pavements except for loading or unloading purposes.
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Soliciting or harassing passers-by for immoral purposes.
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Deliberately causing damage to a public road.
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Throwing or dropping objects such as soil, tiles, rubbish or water from rooftops or windows.
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Dumping or abandoning items on public roads or open spaces.
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Throwing or allowing objects to fall into public drainage or sewer systems under municipal or other authority control.