All intercity buses to be checked after bus breaks down

All buses operating intercity routes will be checked by the department of road transport, its director said on Monday after the poor state of one such bus grabbed headlines over the weekend.

Despite the bus breaking down, Yiannis Nicolaides said that the buses operating these lines are relatively new.

The company operating the lines is obliged to keep the buses in good condition, he added.

An intercity bus broke down during a journey from Nicosia to Limassol on Saturday and after the bus had stopped at and then left the Alambra station, passengers realised something smelled bad and the engine did not sound normal. Shortly afterwards the bus had to stop on the side of the road.

“As soon as the incident came to the attention of the minister, instructions were given so that both this bus and the other buses of the same company are subjected to a technical inspection by the department of road transport, in order to establish their technical suitability,” a statement from the ministry on Saturday said.

“If it is found that they are circulating without complying with the necessary specifications, actions will be taken to withdraw them, as well as attributing responsibility.”

The situation will improve enormously, with new contracts and investments the ministry is in the process of making, Nicolaides said.

He also said, within the next six months the public will be served with a modern fleet and on the intercity line too.