Cyprus Public Transport has announced the suspension of its Pame Express service in Nicosia starting from March 23 due to a shortage of bus drivers, in response to the Ministry of Transport’s criticisms regarding the unilateral suspension of the routes.
The company’s financial director, Tryfonas Hatzichristoforou, speaking on the RIK radio station, explained that the decision was made because it was impossible to cover the 80 daily routes previously operated by the service, which employed only 7 drivers. Hatzichristoforou noted that in order to fully execute the Pame Express routes, the company had to cancel other routes, which fell under its contractual obligations.
Cyprus Public Transport informed the Ministry of Transport about the suspension, offering citizens the option to use the buses for the same routes, albeit with an extended travel time. Hatzichristoforou emphasized that to resolve the issue, changes in the recruitment conditions for new drivers would be necessary, such as age limits and the required knowledge of the Greek language.
On the part of the Ministry of Transport, Andreas Nikiforou, Head of Public Passenger Transport, stated that a company cannot cancel or suspend routes stipulated by contracts with the state. He further stressed that it is the responsibility of the contracting company to seek drivers and added that the suspension of the routes should have been coordinated with the Ministry.
