Two school bus routes in Nicosia and Larnaca resume on Wednesday. They had been suspended over vandalism and safety problems on board. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works said an agreement to restore them immediately had been reached after intensive talks.
The ministry said vandalism, delinquency and behaviour that puts safety on public transport at risk cannot be tolerated. However, it said isolated incidents must be dealt with in a targeted way, without denying all pupils access to the service.
The Transport Minister called a meeting on Tuesday to find a solution that keeps pupils and drivers safe and gets children to and from school without disruption. Those at the meeting included:
- officials from the transport ministry and the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth
- the chair of the House Transport, Communications and Works Committee
- representatives of the parents’ confederations
- the operator, Cyprus Public Transport (CPT)
The meeting put forward several measures. The ministry said security guards, inspectors or both are being placed immediately on buses on the two routes. Representatives of parents’ associations will also supervise the buses in person during the first days of the restored service. Only buses fitted with CCTV will run on the routes, both to deter incidents and to record them when they happen.
The Pancyprian Confederation of Secondary School Parents’ Associations will arrange meetings as soon as possible with the parents and guardians of the pupils involved. The aim is to deal with the incidents together with the school authorities.
The ministry is also seeking close cooperation with Cyprus Police to identify those responsible and investigate incidents promptly. This would allow action to be taken against individuals without suspending an entire route. Damage to the buses will be repaired immediately so they can return to full service.
The Transport Minister has called a further meeting at the ministry on Monday, September 28. It will discuss the measures and wider safety issues on school buses in more detail. Those invited include:
- the Minister of Education, Sport and Youth
- the Minister of Justice and Public Order
- the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection
- the chair of the House committee
- the parents’ confederation
- the contractor companies and other bodies involved
The ministry said last week that vandalism and disruptive behaviour by pupils had forced some routes to be suspended, and appealed to parents for help. Earlier this month, the parliamentary Transport Committee heard that a school bus driver was taken to hospital after a pupil emptied a fire extinguisher on board.
