Cypriots have no problems using buses when they are abroad says Cyprus Public Transport which is doing its best to provide a proper service in Cyprus
With a keen eye on sustainability and the environment, public transport in Cyprus has recently been targeted by the government and municipalities for a necessary face lift, in an attempt to offer new and viable solutions to the public.
In a country dominated by cars and heavy traffic, changing people’s mentality, especially when it comes to buses, seems to be the biggest challenge.
However, things are changing and more and more people are starting to choose buses over cars in their daily routine, according to data collected by the Cyprus Public Transport (CPT).
“The number of passengers of buses is increasing a lot, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic,” Raquel Siguero, control room manager at CPT, told the Sunday Mail.
Siguero and her staff operate from the company’s headquarters located in Geri, just outside Nicosia, which also serves as a maintenance and refueling facility for buses.
“The trend is changing and it is clearly going up. More and more people are using the bus to go to work, return home or to simply reach a destination.”
Recently, Nicosia mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis said that in order to convince people to switch to public transport, the frequency of buses and their operating hours need to be extended.
But it is also a matter of habit, according to CPT business development manager Alexander Kamberos.
“Cypriots have no problems using buses when they are abroad,” he said. “It’s a matter of providing them with a proper service within the country. We are trying to do exactly that, and we are sure that results will show, even more than they already doing.
“People I have spoken to who have never used the bus in Cyprus before have told me that the experience was surprisingly positive and that they will try to use the bus much more often to go about their daily routine.”
For a lot of bus users, one of the sorest points relates to bus shelters which are often run down and unable to offer shade from the summer sun or protection from the winter rain.
Recently the transport ministry has allocated €35 million over the next five years to upgrade bus shelters in the country. The plan also involves building a total of 350 ‘smart’ stops, with electronic boards indicating the time of the buses’ arrival in real time and powered by a photovoltaic system.
Kamberos confirmed that the government is very keen to make bus travel a realistic and feasible solution for Cypriots, particularly in busy Nicosia.
“It takes time and there are obstacles, mainly related to traffic at peak hours, but recent initiatives taken by the transport ministry related to the upgrade of the bus system confirm that better public transport for people in Cyprus is a priority,” he said.
One of the CPT’s main goals over the years was to modernise buses, after years of neglect that pushed people away from public transport, with a keen eye on sustainability.
“We are preparing to deploy our new electric fleet,” Siquero said. “It is a multi-year plan, but we are expecting at least six new fully electric buses on Nicosia’ s roads by next year.”
In addition to that, passengers can already rely on 5G internet connection, installed on all buses circulating in Nicosia.
Bus fares are also different if paid directly to the driver or by tapping the card on the machines aboard.
A single route fare costs €2 in cash or €1.50 on the bus card. Passengers can also purchase weekly or monthly passes, which cost €20 and €60 each.
Cards can be topped up at various kiosks around Nicosia. The full list of kiosks can be found on the CPT website. Alternatively, they can also be topped up at the capital’s main bus hubs, namely Solomou square, Makario Stadium bus station and at the Nicosia general hospital hub.
A typical complaint of the past related to the level of cleanliness found in buses, a deterrent for most people who often chose alternative transport means to avoid travelling in dirty, run-down vehicles.
In response to that, the CPT has radically changed the way buses are presented to the public, placing hygiene and cleanliness as priorities.
Two new bus cleaning machines were installed at the company headquarters in Geri, each worth €20,000.
According to CPT’s Leonidas Tirkides, responsible for the upkeep of each bus at the end of their shifts, the vehicles’ cleanliness is now one of the fleet’s high points.
“Every bus we run undergoes a cleaning process overnight, both inside and outside,” he told the Sunday Mail.
“Thanks to the new machines, it only takes three minutes to clean a bus. Not only that. Of the 250 litres of water used to wash it externally, around 200 are then recycled and reused. Sustainability is key for everyone today and we needed to adapt as well.”
The company’s headquarters also acts as a brain for the bus network, as it hosts the control room from which all routes are monitored.
“Around 280 bus drivers are operating in Nicosia at the moment and we have plans to hire even more,” Kamberos said.
“From our control room, we can monitor everything and intervene when issues arise, such as delays, a bus breaking down or a driver falling ill. We need to be prepared to deal with everything in order to offer our passengers the best service.”
Kamberos added that over the past years, the government increased its focus on buses, which allowed his company to operate more freely and efficiently.
“The redevelopment of Makarios avenue is just one of the many examples pointing to the ongoing effort to attract more people to public transport,” he said.
“After years of disrupted services and neglect for buses, change is not easy. It takes time and will require patience. We are not yet where we want to be and there is room for improvement.
“But, even if slowly, the tide is definitely turning and we are seeing positive results every day. People are taking to buses and for us this is the most rewarding thing.”
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