Bus services in Nicosia have significant shortcomings in passenger information, bus stop facilities and timetable reliability, according to a report by the Audit Office. The findings also raise questions about how effectively the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works monitors the service contract.
The report found that 63% of survey participants said they would not choose to travel by bus again, highlighting the challenges in encouraging more people to use public transport.
“The aim is to make public transport genuinely attractive and competitive with the private car through a reliable, user-friendly and cost-effective service,” Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou said in the report’s introduction.
Audit Office assessed buses under real conditions
The survey took place between 10 November and 1 December 2025. In an approach designed to assess the service in everyday conditions, Audit Office staff travelled on buses as ordinary passengers without notifying the operator in advance.
A total of 110 staff members completed 204 questionnaires. Most routes were tested seven times, on different days and by different people. A representative of the Cyprus Paraplegics Organisation also took part in assessing facilities for people with disabilities.
The Audit Office cautioned that the findings should not be considered fully representative of the general population or regular bus users, as participants owned private cars and used them as their main means of transport. However, it said the survey offered useful insight into the factors that could influence people to switch from private cars to public transport.
55% of bus stops had no timetable information
One of the main findings concerned passenger information at bus stops. No route information was available at 55% of the stops examined. Another 32% had information displayed on signs or through QR codes, while only 13% had real-time passenger information systems.
Facilities were also lacking at a number of stops. Some 32% had no shelter, while 22% had neither a seat nor a shelter.
There were positive findings, too. Pavements were in good condition at 87% of the stops, and cleanliness was rated satisfactory at 74%. However, inspectors also recorded strong unpleasant smells, accumulated rubbish and vandalism, including at central stations.
Incorrect information and unreliable routes
The report identified problems with the accuracy of information provided through the operator’s website and mobile applications.
In some cases, the actual locations of bus stops differed from those shown on the Pame app and website by approximately 85 metres and 135 metres.
The Audit Office also found incorrect timetables, inconsistencies between different information sources and stops that continued to appear online after they had been discontinued. When routes were diverted because of roadworks, updated information about skipped or additional stops was not always available.
In two cases, participants waited approximately 30 minutes before having to walk for another half an hour to reach a different stop.
Route 48, which connects Anthoupoli with the University of Cyprus via Nicosia General Hospital, was singled out for discrepancies between the actual route and stops served and the information available to passengers.
Low service frequency also affected the system’s usefulness. Some routes operated only once every one or two hours. Six of the nine journey scenarios examined required passengers to use two different buses, with transfers adding to travel time and uncertainty.
Problems inside buses and accessibility concerns
The report also identified shortcomings once passengers were on board, including insufficient information about upcoming stops and arrival times.
Passengers could not buy tickets using a bank card, a limitation the Audit Office said affected convenience, particularly for occasional users and visitors.
Drivers’ behaviour and driving were generally assessed positively. However, the survey recorded isolated incidents that fell significantly below expected professional standards.
One particularly serious case involved a driver who refused to cooperate with the arrangements needed to assist a passenger with a disability in the prescribed manner.
Audit Office questions ministry oversight
The Audit Office said the Ministry of Transport acknowledged shortcomings in its response to the report and expressed its intention to take corrective action.
However, the report stressed that the findings emerged from a sample-based survey and might not cover every problem. Any response should therefore go beyond the specific incidents identified.
The Audit Office also raised questions about the ministry’s monitoring of the service contract, arguing that several of the problems could have been identified earlier through regular inspections and enforcement of the operator’s contractual obligations.
It called for systematic checks covering the accuracy of passenger information, the execution of bus routes, the condition of stops and accessibility.
Bus travel is not always cheaper than driving
The report also examined whether buses offered a financially advantageous alternative to private cars. The comparison covered 10 indicative journeys within urban areas, each involving a total distance of seven kilometres.
For people who already own a car, travelling by bus does not necessarily result in substantial savings. Depending on how often the vehicle is used, the number of passengers, the distance and the type of vehicle, either the bus or the car could have the lower additional cost per person.
Papaconstantinou highlighted the distinction between the total cost of owning a car and the marginal cost of making a particular journey.
The Audit Office said the ministry placed too much emphasis on the overall cost of car ownership without giving sufficient weight to the additional cost that influences a person’s actual travel decision.
Cost is only one factor in choosing a means of transport. Journey time, flexibility, reliability, comfort and practicality also influence whether people choose the bus or a private vehicle.
The report concluded that improving public transport requires action across the entire journey. Having buses, stops, apps, performance indicators and contractual enforcement mechanisms is not enough, it said. The system must work as a reliable, connected service that passengers can trust.
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