Three Cypriot companies and one foreign company already active in Cyprus have submitted bids to operate a public bus service in Limassol and Paphos districts, the transport ministry said on Thursday.

It said that bids for the international tender relaunched by the ministry in July closed last Friday. The tender concerned two separate concession agreements, one per district. No valid bids had been submitted for the previous competition the ministry added.

Companies could apply for both contracts, provided the same entity does not control both Nicosia and Limassol.

Two bids were submitted for Limassol district and three for Paphos. These will be examined swiftly with a view to announcing final results early in 2022, it concluded.