Background information

The Limassol Bus Company (EMEL) and the Cyprus Public Transport (CPT), operating in Nicosia and Larnaca, have announced the introduction of the first full-length electric buses in Cyprus. The introduction of the electric buses is a contractual commitment of the companies provided in the contracts signed with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Work.

Content of measure

In investing to the future of sustainable, urban green mobility, two of the four transportation companies in Cyprus – EMEL, operating in the district of Limassol and CPT, operating in the districts of Nicosia and Larnaca – have announced the purchase of 34 and 5 urban full-length electric buses, respectively. As announced by EMEL, the new 35 electric buses will cover journeys totalling of two million km. The new buses feature the latest technologies meeting the highest European standards contributing to the overall modernisation of public transportation in the Island. These contractual commitments of the companies contribute to the government’s plan to upgrade public transportation as a means to encouraging citizens to use public transportation as a substantial alternative in terms of mobility needs of citizens.

The war in Ukraine, the spread of the pandemic and the EU suctions against Russian delayed some electric and electronic components of the buses; it is expected that by February 2023, the buses are to operate.

Use of measure

Beneficiaries of the introduction of the full-length electric buses are the citizens using public transportation in the districts of Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca but it is not feasible to estimate the numbers that will finally use them.

Contents

• Other topics

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies	Companies

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: Company level

Involvement

Social partners are not involved in the process of designing, implementation and monitoring of the measure. The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Work concluded agreements with the two public transportation companies upon the renewal of their contracts that provides, among others, the introduction of the full-length electric buses.

Views and reactions

No particular reactions of social partners to the introduction of the measures have been recorded. However, social partners have an established position over time for the development of a modern, reliable, intelligent, functional and integrated public transportation system to liberate cities from the traffic chaos that serve citizens and contributes to the green sustainable targets of the country, at the same time.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 23 December 2022: Tα πρώτα ηλεκτρικά λεωφορεία στην Κύπρο είναι γεγονός! (www.ant1live.com)
• 16 January 2023: 35 ηλεκτρικά λεωφορεία στους δρόμους της Λεμεσού (www.philenews.com)