Issues of understaffing at the Department of Road Transport and a lack of communication with the Ministry of Transport were highlighted by the current and two former Directors General of the Ministry during their testimony on Thursday before the Investigative Committee on Takata airbags.
Current Director General’s Testimony:
The first to testify was Marina Ioannou-Hasapi, the current Director General of the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Works, who has held the position since November 2024.
When asked by the committee’s president, Michalakis Christodoulou, if proper oversight was exercised over the Department of Road Transport, she stated that she could only speak for the period since she took office, adding that she had requested all relevant documents from the Ministry’s archives to hand over to the committee.
Regarding staff shortages, she said that in December 2024, a letter was sent to the Public Service Commission (ΕΔΥ) requesting priority for filling the position of Road Transport Officer, adding that positions of A9, A11, and A14 levels are still pending.
Since November 2024, five Road Transport Officer positions, seven Inspector positions, and four Technician positions have been filled. In January 2025, she asked department directors for comments on the impact of understaffing and suggestions for reducing bureaucracy.
Responding to a related question, Hasapi noted that no gaps were found in compliance with the European Regulation 858/2018, but she pointed out that the regulation itself has gaps as it does not clearly regulate the recalls of “grey” vehicles.
Former Director General Antonis Koutsoulis’s Testimony:
Antonis Koutsoulis, who served as Director General of the Ministry from July 2023 to September 2024, testified that during his term, there were staffing problems at all levels, and all director positions were vacant, covered only by acting directors.
Under his leadership, efforts were made to fill as many positions as possible, including director roles.
Concerning Takata airbag recalls, Koutsoulis stated that he was never presented with a report on the matter during his tenure. He expressed the view that the Ministry should be informed by the relevant authority and noted that they never received official information.
When asked if the Ministry exercised supervision over the Department of Road Transport (ΤΟΜ) and the Electromechanical Services (ΗΜΥ), Koutsoulis said that his first encounter with the Takata airbag issue was only when he took over as Director General.
He noted that meetings with ΤΟΜ were frequent, and they closely monitored the progress of recalls, describing the matter as a complex and highly specialised issue.
Koutsoulis conveyed to the committee that risk assessment is the manufacturer’s responsibility, and it is their obligation to inform which vehicles are unsafe.
He agreed with the committee’s president’s statement that ΤΟΜ’s role was limited to providing the names of vehicle owners for recall purposes.
When asked about delays in the implementation of recalls, Koutsoulis stated there was continuous monitoring of recall progress and that the pace of replacement accelerated after he took office. He reiterated ΤΟΜ’s position that risk assessment lies with the manufacturer.
Committee member Theodosios Hadjimichael questioned the state’s role in ensuring public safety, especially given that “two children died and another was left disfigured” from airbag explosions.
Former Director General Stavros Michael’s Testimony:
The third to testify was Stavros Michael, who served as Director General of the Ministry of Transport from December 2018 to June 2022.
When asked if ΤΟΜ and ΗΜΥ have a responsibility to inform the Ministry of safety issues, Michael said that during his term, there were regular meetings with all departments, and updates were provided on necessary actions.
When asked if the global Takata airbag recall campaign was reported, Michael denied it, stating that discussions focused on bus safety and expanding inspection centres for vehicle technical checks.
“No recalls were discussed,” he said, adding that he later learned about a 2017 circular letter from ΤΟΜ to distributors regarding the recall process. He first heard about the Takata case in 2023 and was not informed about the 2017 accident linked to the airbags.
Ongoing Investigation:
The investigation will continue tomorrow, Friday, May 16 at 10 a.m., with the appearance of Yiannis Nikolaidis, the former Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Transport.
