EMEL and WeeDrive are seeking to capitalise on the momentum built by the innovative WeeDrive application in Limassol and are currently awaiting a response from the Ministry of Transport so that, starting in September, WeeDrive can be expanded to serve more students, and most importantly this time free of charge, through a subsidy.
As Politis understands, EMEL together with WeeDrive have for months prepared a relevant proposal to the Ministry of Transport and are awaiting a response regarding the approval of a specific budget. The funds exist, as the Ministry of Transport has included in its budget an allocation for afternoon student transport, which can meet the needs of both Limassol and Nicosia. However, Limassol has the advantage of the extremely successful operation of WeeDrive, which already has the technical know-how for immediate implementation.
WeeDrive is an innovative service that has been operating in Limassol for one year and provides door to door transport for students’ afternoon activities. The experience from its first year has been widely welcomed in Limassol, and the mayors of greater Limassol have sent a letter to the Ministry of Transport, actively supporting the effort to secure the subsidy that would allow EMEL to expand the programme for free afternoon use. This measure is also seen as contributing to reducing the traffic congestion affecting Limassol.
It is noted that this year WeeDrive served more than 400 families in Limassol, carrying out a total of 6,000 trips, removing thousands of cars and journeys on a daily basis from Limassol’s already congested road network.
The joint WeeDrive EMEL proposal
The proposal includes the possibility of gradually providing daily transport for up to 1,000 students. At present, WeeDrive operates with 5 to 7 EMEL buses, while it is expected that these will increase to at least 22, always depending on demand.
The aim is for the majority of vehicles used to be of the same type as the well known green buses currently in operation, although it is not ruled out that larger buses may be required in some routes for greater student capacity.
The study that has been carried out provides for up to 16 subsidised routes per student per month. The plan is to operate geographically across all four municipalities of greater Limassol, provided that the increased staffing needs, such as drivers and related personnel, can be met.
Awaiting a response
The proposal has been submitted for a considerable period of time and both EMEL and WeeDrive are awaiting a response. However, in order for implementation to begin from early September, a positive response from the Ministry of Transport must be secured within the first week of July. The proposal does not concern only one school year, but has a five year horizon.
Exploring expansion to workers
The plans do not stop at serving students only. The Municipality of Limassol and EMEL are looking to make use of WeeDrive’s innovative capabilities to ease congestion in the city centre, and in this context, a proposal is under preparation for the operation of the application in the mornings to serve employees of major companies located in central Limassol.
Questionnaires have already been distributed to employees, and a positive climate and willingness for potential use are emerging. The benefit in this case would be twofold, as beyond easing traffic congestion, it would also free up a large number of parking spaces in the centre of Limassol.
