The Statistical Service announces that it has published the annual report "Transport Statistics" for the year 2001.

The report provides detailed information on the economic developments of the broad Transport, Storage and Communication Sector as well as data on the registration of motor vehicles by type and category, road accidents and shipping and aviation activities.

The main developments during 2001 were as follows:

(a) The broad Transport, Storage and Communication sector showed further expansion in 2001. This was the result of increased activity in certain subsectors, particularly the water transport, the communications, the air and and the services allied to transport.

The value added of the sector in real terms increased by 10,0% in 2001 compared to the 13,4% increase in 2000.

(b) Motor vehicles newly registered during 2001 increased by 18,4% to 38.075 from 32.165 in 2000. Private saloon cars newly registered increased by 19,4% to 21.164 from 17.729 in 2000.

The total number of vehicles on the Register of the Department of Road Transport at the end of 2001 totalled 526.038 of which 304.387 were private saloon cars.

(c) The number of road accidents reported to the police decreased to 3.785 in 2001 compared to 3.976 in 2000. Human casualties in road accidents were 98 persons killed and 3.528 persons injured in 2001 as against 111 dead and 3.586 injured in 2000.

(d) During 2001, 5.251 vessels arrived at the various ports of Cyprus compared to 5.289 in 2000. Of these 4.235 or 80,7% arrived at Limassol port, 783 or 14,9% called at Larnaca port and 233 ships at other ports.

At the end of 2001, 2.240 ships were on the Cyprus Register (with a total of 24.419.314 gross registered tonnage) as against 2.669 ships in 2000 and 1.487 in 1985.

(e) Civil aircraft landings increased during 2001 and totalled 29195 compared to 26.540 in 2000. Passenger arrivals through airports increased to 3.267.903 in 2001 compared to 3.066.077 in 2000.