Newsroom
Cyprus’s new multi-million euro bus stops have arrived, but apparently, they took a wrong turn along the way. In what can only be described as a major design faux pas, the newly installed stops are facing the wrong direction because, apparently, in Cyprus, left-hand drive just isn’t the rule.
This “design oversight” has left commuters bewildered, as the very concept of a bus stop seems to have been turned upside down. Instead of waiting in a spot that gives passengers a clear view of oncoming buses, they’re now staring at a wall, wondering if their ride will ever come. But don't worry, they’ll have plenty of space to gaze at that wall because the benches barely fit one and a half people.
Officials from the Transport Ministry also rushed to defend the design, explaining that this project had been in the works for five years. They insist there is “logic” behind the design,
MP Kostas Costa, who made the initial discovery (and what could very well be an early contender for Cyprus’s most baffling scandal), couldn’t help but express his disbelief. "We’ve been waiting for years for functional bus stops, and now we get... this?" he said in a statement on March 20, after submitting a request to have the issue discussed in Parliament. “It’s as if we’re living in a third-world country in the heart of Europe.”
It's not just the awkward bench space or the lack of rain protection that’s raising eyebrows. The real kicker is the direction of the stops themselves. Cyprus, a country where cars drive on the left, has somehow ended up with bus stops designed for countries where people drive on the right. So now, when you sit down at your bus stop, you’re greeted with a solid wall instead of a clear view of the road, a design flaw no one seems to have caught. Welcome to the future of public transport, Cyprus-style!
In response to the uproar, the Transport Ministry has remained somewhat tight-lipped, though Minister Alexis Vafeadis did explain that the new design was intended to help visually impaired and disabled passengers. Apparently, the pillar placement, which is conveniently blocking your view of the road, was intended to make it easier for bus drivers to line up at the door for passengers. Because, of course, a pillar blocking your view of the oncoming bus makes perfect sense for accessibility, right?
Officials from the Transport Ministry also rushed to defend the design, explaining that this project had been in the works for five years. They insist there is “logic” behind the design, though it’s safe to say many commuters are struggling to see it. In the meantime, they’re left wondering how it took half a decade for this perplexing design to become a reality.
While some defend the decisions with the usual bureaucratic talk, others, like Costa, are not so convinced. His call for a full investigation into this apparent scandal has been unanimously accepted by the parliamentary transport committee. He, like many others, wonders how such a critical oversight could have been missed, and who exactly was in charge of the "design" process.
Cyprus has always prided itself on its European status, but with bus stops that defy logic and basic principles of traffic design, it’s hard to see this project as anything but a glaring blunder. Commuters can only hope that the Transport Ministry will turn things around, literally. Until then, they’ll be left facing walls while they wait for their buses.
