Transport ministry to install 4,450 new bus stops

The transport ministry signed a contract on Thursday to install 4,450 new bus stops and shelters and upgrade over 1,000 existing bus stops.

In specifics, the contract provides for the installation of 2,350 bus stop signs, 350 of which will include integrated technology, while the remaining 2,000 will be lit and have information available in printed form.

Additionally, the government is planning to build 2,000 sheltered bus stops in urban areas, 650 of which will be “large” shelters, as well as 100 weatherproof shelters in mountainous areas.

As well as the placement of new bus stops, plans are afoot for existing stops to be upgraded, and 200 bicycle racks will be placed at central bus stops with the aim of encouraging cycling and intermodal transport usage.

“I am in the happy position to extend this signing and essentially complete a move aimed at upgrading the passenger experience in Cyprus, to escape from the old days where there were no proper stops and no proper information,” Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said.

He added, “we hope to soon have new infrastructure which will help and encourage the use of public transport.”

Public works department executive engineer Aristotelis Savva said the design of the new stops “takes into account local conditions and the available space on the road network.”

He said the shelters will be “accessible for use by people with disabilities both in physical form, and with visual and hearing impairments, as well as protecting people against the weather.”

“They will be lit and have electronic signs, and are powered by renewable energy sources,” he added.

He said, “the project enhances road safety, offers public transport users better infrastructure, and improves road traffic conditions. It promotes sustainable mobility and intermodal transportation, offering people alternative methods of transportation.

“It promotes the upgrading of the economy and the tourist product we offer, the support of vulnerable members of society, those who cannot drive, and the support of the countryside and mountainous regions,” he said.

He added that “the goal is to alleviate the traffic and environmental problems we face, especially in cities.”

The new designs will be based on the pilot samples which were installed on Makariou avenue in Nicosia.

The project will be implemented in four phases. The first and second phases entail preparation for the mass production of the new bus stop paraphernalia and the beginning of preparatory work and repairs to existing stops.

In the third phase, which is scheduled to last five years, new bus stops will be mass produced and mass repaired. The final phase entails the long-term maintenance of the new stops and will last a total of 15 years.

The tender to carry out the construction and upgrade of bus stops has been won by Strovolos-based company Aircontrol Ltd. The contract has a duration of 15 years and a total value of over €60 million.