School bus safety will be the first issue examined by parliament’s newly formed transport committee next week, following the publication of the Audit Office’s report into the school transport system, MPs announced after the committee’s inaugural meeting on Thursday.

The meeting, attended by Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades, also focused on traffic congestion, speed cameras, Takata airbags, taxi licensing and major road projects.

Speaking after the meeting, Vafeades said the ministry had briefed MPs on the inspections carried out to assess the operation of private vehicle inspection centres responsible for certifying school buses. The report found that 35 per cent of the buses examined at public centres failed the inspections, while 19 per cent of those deemed unsuitable had previously obtained certificates from private testing facilities.

He said the inspections had resulted in penalties against those who failed to comply with regulations, while some companies had also been referred to court. According to TOM, the technical faults highlighted in the auditor-general’s report had already been identified by them.

“Our work on road safety and student safety continues and is being intensified,” he said.

“We had this very bad experience with the buses, but we are continuing the actions we started and will continue implementing them.”

Traffic congestion, particularly in Limassol, also featured prominently during the meeting.

Vafeades said the addition of around 10,000 new vehicles to Cyprus’ roads every year was making the problem increasingly difficult to tackle.

He said addressing congestion required new road infrastructure, a process that inevitably takes time, but added that the ministry and parliament had agreed to work together on possible solutions.

Among the projects discussed were plans to categorise and prioritise around 60 roads identified by Limassol’s mayors as requiring upgrades.

Disy MP Charalambos Pazaros said improving the road network should be a priority, arguing that inadequate infrastructure continued to affect the daily lives of citizens.

He also highlighted staff shortages at the Road Transport Department, saying they were causing significant delays and inconvenience for hundreds of members of the public.

Diko MP Giorgos Savvides said his party would continue to work constructively with the transport ministry and stressed that the publication of the Audit Office’s report should not create the impression that the ministry had been unaware of problems affecting school buses.

He said several shortcomings had already been identified by the ministry itself and corrective measures were under way, while the latest findings would help ensure the system operates safely from September.

“Our children must be transported safely because this is an institution that has been successful,” he said.

Savvides also called for the long-delayed Paphos–Polis Chrysochous road project to move forward without further delay and urged the government to provide a clear timetable for the start of construction.