Agia Fylaxi road sign

Road signs in Cyprus are regulated in Law of Street (Greek: Κώδικας Οδικής Κυκλοφορίας, romanized: Kódikas Odikís Kykloforías).[1] They follow the road signs used in most European countries, including European Union countries (France, Germany, Italy and etc.), to which Cyprus joined in 2004, as set out in the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Cyprus acceded to the Convention on August 16, 2016.[2]

Road signs in Cyprus are similar to road signs used in the United Kingdom since the country was a British colony until 1960 when Cyprus became an independent republic. Some signs are similar to road signs used in Greece. The only exception is that inscriptions on road signs are in Greek and Latin scripts and metric system units are used instead of the Imperial System of units (miles and yards). Distances on road signs are indicated in kilometers. The same applies to Akrotiri and Dhekelia where some road signs are in Turkish as well as English and Greek. Cyprus drives on the left.

Categorisation

Warning signs

Warning signs in Cyprus have a triangular shape with a red border and a white background, as in most European countries, while in Greece, warning signs have a yellow background instead of white.

Additional markings

Regulatory signs

Prohibitory or restriction signs

Other regulatory signs

No parking signs

Mandatory signs

Signs for traffic reduction measures

Information signs

Additional signs

Other signs

Local and special signs

Street name signs

Street name sign in Larnaca, Dryadon street
Democracy Street signs in three languages on the Green Line

Street name signs are not legally defined as signs in the KOK. This gives authorities flexibility in their design and placement. They can be fixed to a pole, wall or building. The text is in ARIAL font. In the free parts of the island (at least), the signs are identical to those in Greece (white letters on a blue background.), and the text reads: ΟΔΟΣ XXXXX/YYYYYY STR. (Where XXXXX in Greek and YYYYYY in English).

However, in the Turkish-occupied territories, designs vary. The signs placed near the Green Line have three languages, Greek, English and Turkish, and the text is XXXXX SOKAK/STREET YYYYY/ZZZZZZ Str. (Where XXXXX in Turkish, YYYYY in Greek and ZZZZZ in English.). In the rest of the occupied parts it is only in Turkish and is black letters on a yellow background.

Likewise, in Akrotiri and Dekelia, the signs are white with black letters.

Street name sign in Northern Cyprus (left) and Akrotiri and Dhekelia (right)

Other official signs

Road signs in Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Although Akrotiri and Dhekelia is a British Overseas Territory and it has British military bases and installations formerly part of the Crown colony of Cyprus, there is no differentiation in terms of signs and they are defined by the same legislation that is defined in most of the island.[3]

Northern Cyprus

In the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus formed after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and declared its independence from the Republic of Cyprus in 1983, road signs have the same design features as those used in Turkey. Typical differences from signs used in the Republic of Cyprus are:

  • DUR instead of STOP on stop sign, although in some cases STOP appears together with DUR or just STOP, despite the rule;
  • Red crescent instead of red cross on first aid signs and text in Turkish.

References

  1. ↑ "Κώδικας Οδικής Κυκλοφορίας" (PDF). mcw.gov.cy (in Cypriot Greek). Cyprus. 2013.
  2. ↑ "United Nations Treaty Collection". treaties.un.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. ↑ "Sovereign Base Areas - Administration". web.archive.org. 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
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