Driving School Associations: TOM Responsible for Driving Licenses

Driving school associations state that the licensing of drivers is the sole responsibility of the Department of Road Transport (TOM). In a statement, they express concern about the increase in traffic accidents and the deterioration of driving behavior in Cyprus.

The associations P.O.E.I.O., PA.S.E.S.O., and S.I.S.O.K. emphasize that driving schools have no institutional role in the approval or rejection of driver candidates. They consider it unfair to attribute responsibility to schools for phenomena controlled by TOM.

They also point out that the recognition of driving licenses from abroad is done directly by TOM, without the participation of the schools. Finally, they mention that many drivers hold licenses issued under older standards and have not been re-examined, emphasizing the absence of a retraining mechanism.

The associations conclude that driving behavior is an individual choice and does not necessarily reflect the training the driver received.