Dear Editor,

So Cyprus is changing to Greek alphabet number plates in the near future? Stand up and be counted. That is, the highly paid arrogant Greek Cypriot civil servant or MP who sits in the Road Traffic Department who makes such wide sweeping decisions, in direct contravention of not one but two treaties, one of those being an international convention. Namely, the United Nations Economic & Social Councils Conference on Road Traffic 1968, implemented in 1977, and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968, implemented in May 1977, an International Treaty. Both of these deal with the standardisation of Traffic Laws including road signs and number plates. I won’t bore you with technical details but what they broadly say is, ALL number plates, MUST display LATIN characters and ARABIC numerals, i.e. ABC 123. Greek alphabet letters may be displayed by glyph appearance that is similar to Latin, NO ps, ph, d, l, etc.

If you have ever seen a Greek mainland number plate there are no Greek alphabet letters, so Greece has conformed, why must Cyprus go its own way, again?

There is a get out clause: in addition to Latin letters, other alphabet letters may be displayed in addition. But as the convention specifies number plate size, that means that Cypriot vehicles would have to display 2 number plates on the front and rear of each vehicle. One in Greek and one in Latin/Arabic.

I see also that all motorbikes are going to have to display Greek number plates. Why bother, as none of the motorbikes I have seen in Cyprus display any number plates at all, let alone Greek ones.

The Home Guard display Greek numbers on their vehicles, but that’s because they are military vehicles. If by any chance they had to go abroad, they would have to comply with the two Treaties.

Regards,
-Barnacle Bill, Larnaca

Dear Editor,

I enjoyed reading the article, ‘Pond Life,’ concerning American health care legislation by Yiannis Anastasi. I too, was amazed President Obama had managed to carry this legislation through against huge opposition. I had (in my own prejudice) dismissed him as being too good looking to be effective. I have been proved wrong.  Having lived through the political desert of the Blair years, I had lost all faith in politicians.  I wonder if Tony Blair had looked a little more like Pierce Brosnan (as in the new thriller The Ghost) I would have had less to worry about?

-Sonia Kilvington, Larnaca

We had many more opinions this month but could not fit them all in so look for your comments in upcoming issues.

On that note the Larnaca News would like to say farewell to the controversial Yian the Man as he endeavors to seek out his own fortune elsewhere. No more ranting and raving from ‘that Man’, but we promise to keep you interested in all that goes on in Larnaca and Cyprus just the same.

This is also a good opportunity to set the record straight so to say... Contrary to popular belief the Larnaca News Magazine is NOT and has NEVER been owned by Mr. Yiannis Anastasi, He was employed in the absence of the Publishing Editor by Larnaca News Publications which is in fact a wholly owned subsidiary of Nomasia Ltd.

Any views, opinions or actions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Larnaca News Publications and its Editors.

The Larnaca News Team would like to thank you for your continued support and readership.