Pavlos Neophytou
The director of Limassol Passenger Transport Company (EMEL), George Kyriakou, reported an attack on a bus driver en route from Limassol high school to the Parekklisia community.
During a parliamentary discussion on school bus safety, particularly in light of a bus fire on December 1, 2023, Kyriakou detailed the incident that occurred on Wednesday (07/12).
While the bus was in motion on a midday trip from the high school to Parekklisia, a student approached the driver wielding a 70-80 cm stick. The student yelled at the driver, who instinctively turned around to identify the source.
Subsequently, the student struck the driver in the eye with the stick. Kyriakou highlighted the potential severity, noting that the driver's myopia glasses likely prevented a high risk of losing control of the city bus. Fortunately, the lenses resisted the impact, allowing the driver to continue.
Kyriakou, with 33 years of experience on bus routes, expressed concern over the evolving nature of incidents. He distinguished between previous vandalism incidents, such as property damage, and the alarming shift to physical assaults on bus drivers, starting from bottles and progressing to firecrackers and now a beating.
According to Kyriakou, he informed the provincial parents' association about the matter. On Friday, they plan to report the incident to the police. Additionally, a series of actions, including lectures in schools, are being implemented to prevent such incidents in the future.
[This article was translated from its Greek original]
