A shocking complaint has come to light through Sigma reporter Marios Ignatiou.
A mother reports that her deaf son, who is entitled to free public transport as a person with disability, was heading from Paphos on an intercity bus to Nicosia General Hospital for a scheduled medical appointment.
During the journey the heating on the bus was extremely high. The young man felt unwell and struggled to breathe. Unable to speak to the driver, he typed a short message on his phone asking the driver to lower or turn off the heating.
The driver’s reaction was outrageous. While travelling on the Paphos–Nicosia highway, he stopped the bus in a remote area far from any official stop and ordered the young man to get off.
Stunned and unable to argue, the passenger found himself alone in an unfamiliar location. Using GPS on his phone, he eventually walked to the nearest point where he could catch another bus and returned to Paphos. He missed his hospital appointment entirely.
The incident has provoked widespread anger. Only the mother’s and son’s version of events has been made public so far, but the reporter notes it would be important to hear the driver’s side – although few can imagine any acceptable justification for abandoning a disabled passenger in the middle of nowhere.
The operating company must provide a public explanation immediately. If it fails to do so, the Ministry of Transport is expected to intervene.
Buses are equipped with CCTV systems. A thorough investigation is essential to establish exactly what happened and to protect the safety, dignity and rights of all passengers, especially those with disabilities.
Also read: The “Cypriot FBI” takes shape – Hartsiotis and Chrysochoidis statements
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