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Public Transport Overhaul
The Cyprus government has announced it will spend €44 million in 2010 to upgrade the island’s public transport system. The Cyprus Mail reported recently that the Transport Ministry is determined to create a more modern and efficient system so that more people will make use of it.
Currently only 1.7% of people in Cyprus use public transport, a tiny figure compared to the EU average, which stands at more than 15%. The government feels that upgrading the system will be a good use of public money and encourage more people to use it – they hope that in 8 to 10 years, around 10 per cent of people will be regularly using the upgraded services.
Buses are the main form of public transport in Cyprus - there are no trains on the island – and government plans focus on more frequent services and extended bus routes, ‘park and ride’ schemes to alleviate traffic jams in the city centres, more extensive timetables and significantly lower fares, thanks to government subsidies. Officials said they could be reduced to as little as 80 cents for town centre routes and fares for travel between the main towns would be around €3.50.
October 26th is the deadline for bus companies around the island to express interest and then negotiations will begin. Soteris Kolletas, Head of the Transport Department said that discussions should be finished by around 3rd December. Six bus companies will be chosen to cover all of the main districts of Cyprus – one each for Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos and Famagusta, with a sixth company handling inter-urban routes.
Asked whether he thought Cypriots would be happy to give up their beloved cars and take the bus, Mr. Kolletas replied, “Love of Cypriots for their cars is more recent than in the United States and the European Union, and they use buses. Why not us?”
Only time will tell whether Cypriots take to the new and improved public transport system, but it will certainly be a boon for those living in Cyprus or visiting on holiday – a more efficient and cheaper public transport system has got to be good news all round.
Author: Anne Hall |
