Cyprus Public Transport (CPT) rejects the general conclusion that the service is in crisis, in a statement responding to media reports following the release of the Audit Office’s report, noting that many of the issues identified in the report have already been addressed.
In its statement, Cyprus Public Transport (CPT) welcomes the Audit Office’s Special Report No. 29/2026 on bus services in Nicosia and takes its findings seriously. The report identifies weaknesses in the service and areas for improvement, which the CPT acknowledges, it states. What it does not support, however, is the general conclusion drawn by some media outlets in their reports: “Nothing in the report indicates that the service is in crisis,” it adds. The CPT wishes, as it states, to put the information published yesterday into the proper context, noting that “the investigation was conducted in November and December 2025 by staff of the Audit Service, and many of the issues it identifies have already been addressed since then.”
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Regarding the 63% of passengers who would not use the bus again, the CPT notes that this figure does not come from a passenger survey but reflects the responses of 110 Audit Office employees who traveled by bus as “mystery passengers,” almost all of whom own cars, comparing a single trip to one they would take in their own vehicle. “As the report itself acknowledges, this is a limitation of the sample,” it notes, adding that “the perspective of regular users is better reflected in the facts: 8.78 million passenger trips from January through August 2026, a 14.5% increase compared to last year, with 63% of these trips made using a 30-day pass by daily commuters.”
At the same time, it reports that it has commissioned an independent user satisfaction survey from IMR / University of Nicosia, which is being conducted through face-to-face interviews with 2,000 passengers at bus stations. According to the latest results, from April 2026, the Customer Satisfaction Index has risen for the fourth consecutive survey, while the Net Promoter Score remains positive.
Regarding improvements made since the survey period, CPT reports that it has launched a new website and a new version of the Pame app, which allows users to track buses and receive real-time updates on arrival times. The app and the website now operate on a shared database, providing the same information to passengers.
It notes that all CPT routes are now available on Google Maps, and inside the bus, CPT has launched an awareness campaign to improve passenger information by enhancing audio announcements of stops, adjusting the volume, and enhancing overall passenger information throughout the journey.
At the same time, it notes that the Ministry of Transport has launched a major investment to replace and upgrade all bus stops in Cyprus and that the company provides route and schedule informationfor the new stops, and informational stickers are being placed as the new stops are installed. “Several of the report’s key findings regarding passenger information have therefore already been addressed,” it emphasizes.
Regarding service performance, the CPT reports that during the first eight months of 2026, 99.2% of scheduled trips were completed, while 95.7% of buses departed on time, with performance exceeding contractual targets every month. Complaints totaled 2.7 per 10,000 passengers, while active users of the Pame app increased by 69% and passengers using e-wallets by 111%. At the same time, it notes that with the 30-day Motion card, a regular passenger pays approximately €1 per trip, as confirmed by the report’s cost analysis.
It adds that public transportation in Cyprus constitutes a unified system, in which the Ministry of Transport owns the network, the stops, and the ticketing platform, while CPT operates the service under contract. “The bus stop infrastructure and the ticketing system—including the lack of a bank card payment option on board the bus— are part of the state platform, which CPT operates and is ready to expand as soon as new features are approved,” he states.
At the same time, he notes that service frequencies are determined by demand, so routes with high passenger traffic operate at high frequency, while routes with lower demand operate at a controlled service level, and the Pame app now allows passengers to plan their trips in real time.
Regarding accessibility, CPT regrets the incident described in the report, which does not reflect the standards it requires of its staff. The matter has been investigated and addressed. “The entire fleet is accessible; all drivers are trained to assist passengers with reduced mobility, and CPT has signed an agreement with an organization for people with disabilities, under which the organization participates in driver training,” he states.
He notes that the report’s central message is a shared one: that public transportation only works when the entire chain functions—from the bus stop to the app and the bus itself— adding that where the findings pertain to the service, action has been taken and most improvements are already in place. “Where the findings concern the system, we are working with the Ministry of Transportation, Communications, and Public Works to implement them,” he said, adding that “the 1.1 million additional trips made this year show that more and more people in Nicosia and Larnaca are choosing to take the bus.”
