It is with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation of Cyprus Public Transport to attend today's event, which marks the upgrade of public transport in the Nicosia and Larnaca Districts.
Regular bus services have already been provided by Nicosia Public Transport and Larnaca Public Transport for 1.5 years and the positive response from citizens has been evident in the sales of cards and tickets, which are showing an increasing trend. In particular, according to the latest statistics, the number of passengers has increased by 27% in December 2021 compared to the same period in 2020 for Nicosia, and 57% for Larnaca. These data show that an increasing number of citizens are showing confidence in the public transport system, which makes me very happy, since as the Ministry we have set a target to increase the percentage of travel by bus.
It is a fact that the pandemic has also affected the transport sector, however the two contractors, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, continue their actions to continuously upgrade the system and offer the best possible customer experience. As part of this upgrade, the introduction of the 5G WiFi network in all buses and stations in Nicosia and Larnaca is also taking place. In this way, passengers are able to use their travel time productively or relax pleasantly until they reach their destination. I would like to congratulate the company for this initiative, since with the introduction of the 5G network in its entire fleet, it is among the first companies in Europe to offer this service to its customers.
Another step towards the optimization of the service is the introduction of the new route network. The need for this change was perceived both at the technical level and through consultations with other competent bodies, as well as with citizens, and was therefore a requirement of the new 2020-2030 Contracts. The study and design of the new network took into account previous studies carried out by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, the demand for travel between different areas, feedback received from consultations, as well as problems recorded in previous years.
The new service will provide increased service frequency, extended hours and better coordination at transfer points, and therefore it is expected that there will be a reduction in the time taken to travel between areas and in In any case, my Ministry will remain in contact with the company and will closely monitor the transition to the new network so that any problems that may arise are resolved without delay for the benefit of service to citizens.
Dear Friends,
I am confident that through our cooperation we will manage to upgrade Public Transport in our country and promote sustainable mobility so that transport becomes safer, more efficient and sustainable in order to serve citizens, as well as social and economic operators. I therefore welcome the company's pioneering move to provide its buses with the most modern network currently on the market, the 5G WiFi network, and invite everyone to enjoy the journey with us.
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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