The Department of Statistics and Research announces that it has issued the report "Registration of Motor Vehicles for 1997". The report provides detailed data on the registration of motor vehicles by type and category of vehicle as recorded by the Department of Land Transport.

2. The main developments in 1997 compared to 1996, were:

(a) The total number of motor vehicles newly registered during 1997 decreased by 8,4% to 31.857 from 34.768 in 1996.

(b) Private saloon cars registrations decreased slightly to 19.164 in 1997 from 19.189 in 1996 i.e. there was a decrease of 0,1%.

This was the result of a 30,7% decline in the registrations of new private saloon cars and a significant rise by 28,6% in used cars . Used private saloon cars registered reached 12.710 or 66,3% of private saloon cars registrations while new cars fell to 6.454 or 33,7% of private saloon cars registrations in 1997.

(c) Goods conveyance vehicles decreased to 6.284 in 1997 compared to 8.097 in 1996, thus recording a decrease of 22,4%. Light goods vehicles decreased by 22,5% to 5.780 from 7.459 in 1996 and heavy goods vehicles decreased by 21,0% to 504 in 1997 from 638 in 1996.

(d) Mechanised - cycles registrations fell also to 4.552 in 1997 as against 5.175 in 1996 i.e. there was a decrease of 12,0%.

(e) Japan remained the main supplier of motor vehicles to Cyprus. In 1997 Japanese motor vehicles accounted for 67,5% Cyprus of total registrations followed by European Union Countries with 25,7%.

3. The report is obtainable from the Printing Office of the Republic of Cyprus at C£3,00 per copy.