Petrol station owners protest outside Presidential Palace over tanker decree

Economy protestsTop News Petrol station owners protest outside Presidential Palace over tanker decree Petrol Station Protest Nicosia Relevant News Petrol station owners protest outside Presidential Palace over tanker decree 21 July 2026 On this day: Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969 21 July 2026 VivaBank to take over Cyprus’s public e-payments system as JCC loses tender battle 21 July 2026 newsroom 21 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Petrol station owners protested outside the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, seeking the President’s intervention over tanker vehicle specifications that have left hundreds of vehicles immobilised. The issue affects more than 300 tankers, according to the association. Owners are pushing for two things: a new extension to replace their tanker fleet, and government subsidies, since each vehicle costs around €120,000, the association says. The protest march did not affect petrol station operations, which continued serving consumers as normal. Protesters gathered at 10am in the GSP car park before marching to the Presidential Palace via Iosif Hadjiosif Street and Athalassas Avenue. The dispute centres on the application of legislation, based on an EU directive, making the ADR system mandatory on tankers. The system allows power to be cut to vehicles carrying dangerous goods in the event of an accident, preventing risks to both those on board and the public. The issue dates back to 2008, when Cyprus decided to apply the EU’s ADR directive for tanker transport on its roads. Each time, however, a temporary arrangement was reached without resolving the matter substantively. If no solution or compromise is found between the two sides, significant problems could arise in the coming period, since essential services such as hospitals and large businesses requiring substantial fuel quantities, such as tourist accommodation, would be unable to be served. The Department of Road Transport says petrol station owners had around 17 years to either replace their vehicles or modify them to be certified as ADR-compliant. Giorgos Louka, the department’s director, said: “I believe it was a long transition period which companies, petrol station owners and ADR consultants alike knew about.” He added that they knew the rules would eventually apply in Cyprus too. Savvas Prokopiou, president of the Pancyprian Petrol Station Owners’ Association, said Tuesday’s protest concerned a Transport Ministry decree dated August 8, 2025. He said the decree requires their tankers to be immobilised, adding that the sides agreed on September 29 that a transitional period was needed, which the government would try to secure for five years through the European Commission. He said the minister halted this, though EU directives require a transitional period from the date a decree is issued. Read more: Fuel station owners to march on Presidential Palace Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News On this day: Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969 VivaBank to take over Cyprus’s public e-payments system as JCC loses tender battle Custody clock runs out for British father in Paphos hotel death case Guterres visit may settle fate of five-party Cyprus talks Police investigating video showing minor with disability urged to expose himself Former DIKO MP Nikos Kleanthous dies at 78 Police-backed sweep clears caravans from Larnaca beach seized by motorhomes (videos) Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.