Newsroom / CNA
The first electric urban buses were presented on Tuesday by the Cyprus Public Transport and will be added to their existing fleet and commence servicing routes in the next few days. The move aims to contribute to efforts for sustainable and greener public transport, the company said.
A press release from CPT said new Yutong electric buses are fully accessible, 12-metre long with a maximum capacity of up to 80 passengers, including priority seats and a wheelchair area. These electric buses can operate from morning to evening on a single daily charge. They are all airconditioned and equipped with 5G Wi-Fi, closed circuit surveillance cameras, and USB chargers, with no engine noise or vibration.
The use of electric buses aims to contribute to the efforts of the Ministry of Transport Communications and Works to offer sustainable and greener public transport to citizens as well as alternative modes of travel, the CPT said.
Addressing the press conference where the presentation was made, Minister of Transport Communications and Works, Alexis Vafeades, said electric buses will contribute to the reduction of air pollution and noise on our roads thus improving the quality of life of our citizens. At the same time, the use of electric vehicles in the public transport system encourages the adoption of sustainable and clean energy sources.
Felipe Cosmen, Cyprus Public Transport’s Chairman, said that the company has long-term targets to continue to make public transport even more attractive and find feasible solutions that will significantly support the ministry’s efforts to minimize the traffic congestion problem, especially in Nicosia.
A new project that CPT is currently studying in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Works is the Mass Rapid Transit which with the right infrastructure and adequate resources will be able to transfer a big number of passengers quickly, frequently, and comfortably from the GSP area to the city centre. The service aims to increase the demand for public transport by offering more frequent and direct routes thus drastically reducing traffic congestion.
During the press conference, the Minister announced the launch of the DRT (Demand Responsive Transport) pilot program which will be offered to specific citizen groups. In the first phase, the pilot program will be provided to people with disabilities who already use public transport, where they will be able to request for the next day, a bus ride from a bus stop closest to their home directly to their final destination and vice versa.
