Delivery drivers brace for motorcycle licence crackdown

‘It's going to slow down orders for sure’ as drivers will have to use bicyclesThousands of food deliveries across Cyprus could face disruption from next week as new motorcycle licensing rules prevent learner riders from working unless they are under the direct supervision of a driving instructor. From July 1, learner motorcycle licence holders will only be allowed to ride on public roads while receiving instruction from a licensed instructor on another motorcycle of the same category or during an official driving test. For delivery riders, the change effectively means obtaining a full motorcycle licence before they can continue working. The road transport department (TOM) told the Cyprus Mail it could not provide an exact figure for the number of riders affected because learner licences are issued daily. However, based on information from driving instructors, “there are more than 1,000 applicants currently awaiting the scheduling of a test date.” The department insisted the changes were approved under an amendment to the driving licence law in 2023 and businesses “had three years to prepare before the legislation came into force”. “The implementation of the above provisions aims to enhance road safety and ensure that motorcycle riders are adequately trained and capable of operating the vehicle before riding on public roads,” it said. Officials added that motorcycle testing capacity has already been expanded. “From the beginning of the second half of 2025 onwards, the number of motorcycle tests conducted has doubled compared to the immediately preceding period,” the department said. Additional examiners have also joined during the past month to increase testing capacity further. Even so, delivery companies and riders fear demand for tests will far exceed supply. Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, delivery driver contractor Andreas Skallouris said the change leaves businesses with little room to manoeuvre. “They are going to need a full motorcycle licence. The government has been suggesting this measure for years. It has been delayed at several points, and it makes our work harder in terms of how we coordinate with our drivers.” Deliveries by bicycle will become more common as delivery drivers struggle to book a motorcycle test Current riders say the practical consequences will become clear within days. Vihaan Verma, who works as a delivery driver, said many riders are still completing the licensing process. “My brother is riding with a learner’s licence, and I don’t know what he’ll do now. It will take another month before he finishes his certification. Many others also have learner permits, so who is going to deliver all these meals?” He said some riders have already been told they may have to switch to bicycles until they qualify. “We’ve been told that those who don’t have a full licence yet will have to use bicycles to deliver. It’s going to slow down orders for sure.” The impact extends beyond testing alone, for many foreign workers, particularly students from India, obtaining a learner permit is itself the final stage of an arduous administrative process. Former Wolt employee Abdul Asman said new arrivals often spend months completing immigration formalities before they are even eligible to apply. “First you need proof of residence, then you need a bank account, which can take ages because of the bureaucracy. After that you need a mobile phone contract and then you wait for your pink slip, which can take around six months. Only then can you apply for a learner’s licence, and that takes another three or four months.” By the time riders become eligible to sit a practical test, many have already spent close to a year navigating administrative requirements. Another complication concerns overseas driving licences, as while visitors from for India for example may legally ride motorcycles in Cyprus using a valid Indian motorcycle licence, together with an international driving permit, that arrangement applies only during a temporary stay. Once a person becomes a resident, Indian licences cannot be exchanged directly for Cypriot licences because India is not among the countries recognised for licence conversion. Riders must instead pass Cypriot theory and practical examinations before obtaining a full local licence. Asman said many workers arrive believing their existing licences will allow them to continue riding after relocating permanently. “Some agencies tell drivers their licences will be accepted in Cyprus when that simply isn’t the case. People arrive expecting to work straight away and then discover they have to begin the licensing process from the start.” That issue has drawn renewed attention following allegations involving recruitment agencies supplying delivery riders from India. Earlier this month, a group of 25 Indian nationals publicly appealed to the authorities, alleging they had been recruited under false promises of salaries and working conditions before arriving in Cyprus. They claim they each paid between €7,000 and €13,000 in recruitment fees before discovering their employment arrangements differed substantially from what they had signed in India. Police confirmed the case remains under investigation, including possible offences relating to trafficking in human beings for labour exploitation. While separate from the licensing changes, the allegations have drawn attention to the vulnerability of many third country nationals entering Cyprus’ delivery sector. Questions have also emerged as to why intermediaries were seeking to recruitment for delivery drivers externally, rather than companies hiring riders from the already well established foreign and student body residing locally. “Almost all of my drivers are or were students who came over from abroad,” says Skallouris. “I would say there are more than enough of these men already living in Cyprus.” The licensing changes prove but another trial upon delivery riders already facing pressures. Riders have raised concerns over falling delivery fees, increasing fuel costs and commissions charged by fleet managers, which they say can reach between 25 and 33 per cent. Some also report increasing thefts of motorcycles and attacks by youths during deliveries. The road transport department insists however that sufficient warning was provided before the law came into effect. “The potential impacts were assessed during the preparation of the relevant legislation. Any potential effects on the above businesses were given sufficient time to be addressed, as the law was enacted in 2023 and comes into force in 2026.” Officials added that the department will “continue to make every possible effort, within its capacity, to meet the demand for tests”. With more than 1,000 applicants already waiting for practical examinations, delivery companies face the prospect of losing riders immediately while those still holding learner permits wait to qualify. For many already working in the sector, the effect remains immediate. “Can you imagine half of us on bicycles running around Nicosia, and on what cycling lanes?” Verma remarked. “It’s going to be madness.”