The possibility of legislative regulation of public information and the eventual immobilization of cars equipped with defective Takata airbags is now being examined by the parliamentary Committee on Commerce with Maria Loui, the tragic mother of 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos who lost his life due to the defective operation of the type of airbag in question, to say that immediate action must be taken because cars equipped with these airbags are "risk of death".
As reported to the committee, in addition to the death of 24-year-old Kyriakos in January 2023, defective airbags are allegedly related to the death of 19-year-old Stylianis Giorgallis, while another incident concerns a young man who suffered a serious injury due to shrapnel and has undergone a number of operations. At the same time, while the Department of Road Transport (TOM) speaks of 12.000 European vehicles with such defective airbags, fears are expressed that the number of vehicles increases to 25.000 to 30.000 vehicles if cars imported from Japan and Singapore are included.
"Who protects me as a citizen"
Both before the committee and in remarks after the hearing, Maria Louie said she discovered the matter after her 24-year-old son's death.
“I stand before you because I lost a baby, a swimmer, an educated child with dreams and in one night they brought him to me in a box. When it turned out that Kyriakos was uninjured and had a damaged face, I discovered the word Takata that I didn't know, I discovered Rapex. I am obliged to know RAPEX, who protects me as a citizen?" he asked.
Ms. Louis expressed her indignation at the lack of measures so far and spoke of a ticking time bomb, due to the lack of information to the citizens, pointing out that Styliani Giorgalli could be alive if measures had been taken after the death of her own son.
"I hope until measures are taken that we do not mourn any more victims, because the explosion can happen suddenly, even due to weather conditions," he said and concluded: "If we continue to blow the whistle indifferently, it will be criminal."
"Stop the vehicles"
Petros Xenophontos, former Minister of Agriculture and former Director of TOM, speaking as an expert on road safety, said that cars equipped with these airbags must be immobilized. He also noted that TOM can inform the public since it has an information system through SMS messages on mobile phones.
"From the time someone is notified until they replace the airbag, the car has to be immobilized and the costs will have to be covered by the importer," he said, adding that the importer is registered with the customs department and this applies to both European cars and cars imported from third countries.
"Cars absolutely have to stop," he said, likening the airbags to "a gun that can shoot you."
The Director of TOM, Giorgos Loukas said that the Department has issued an announcement since last Thursday regarding the handling of the issue, while he noted that there has been an agreement with the Cyprus Electricity Authority (EAC) as an additional announcement for information on the issue is included in the electricity bills of recalls.
Committee President Kyriakos Hatzigiannis described the state as a "spectator", noting that "there are tens of thousands of bombs on the streets". We must legislate before Christmas for a solution, whatever it may be.
MPs stressed that faulty airbags should be replaced at the expense of importers, and criticized what was heard in an earlier session that car dealerships were charging customers between €75 and €160 for a vehicle check.
In statements after the session, DISY MP Nikos Sykas said that the debate on the issue is subject to a "time bomb" and added that "literally in the face of the young man who in 2018 lives without a mouth with 30 operations but also in the face of Kyriakos and perhaps the decline and absence of the state can be seen in Styliani". He also said that DISY and the rest of the parties will proceed with proposals for a law "so that we can solve the problem and cover the chronic weaknesses of the state".
AKEL MP Kostas Kostas said for his part that "it's not going any further".
"There must be a solution to the issue of defective airbags and we shouldn't come a year after we discussed the issue in October and see everything the state had to do to inform the world and for a platform to inform the world if it doesn't have be anything."
Besides, DIPA MP Michalis Giakoumi stated that "it is impermissible in a privileged state that vehicles with dangerously defective components, which have proven to lead to tragedies internationally, are still in circulation". "Citizens' safety is non-negotiable and cannot be exhausted by sending registered letters or restrictions during technical inspection (MOT)".
Source: KYPE