The company operating the Pame Express park-and-ride service in Nicosia will continue running the route for an additional two months while efforts are made to address a shortage of bus drivers.
The service, which connects the GSP stadium with the city centre, had been scheduled to be suspended on 23 March 2026. However, the transport ministry confirmed that operations will continue due to the service’s high daily usage.
Driver shortage affecting operations
Andreas Nikiforou, a senior official at the transport ministry, told parliament that approximately 500 to 600 passengers use the service each day.
“The risk for Pame Express comes from the problem we have in Cyprus but also across Europe,” Nikiforou said.
“It is the problem of drivers, who are like an endangered species,” he added.
Nikiforou noted, however, that the responsibility for recruiting drivers lies with the service operator.
Discussions with operator on possible solutions
The ministry has held several meetings with Cyprus Public Transport, the company operating the service, to explore possible solutions.
One proposal under discussion is to revise the requirements for obtaining a professional bus driver licence, including lowering the minimum age.
Tryfonas Hadjichristoforou, chief financial officer of Cyprus Public Transport, said the company will make every effort to maintain the Pame Express service.
He added that the company expects a comprehensive proposal to be developed within the two-month extension period.
Proposals for recruiting drivers
During discussions, a representative of the Employers and Industrialists Federation suggested recruiting drivers from countries where vehicles operate on the right-hand side of the road, such as India.
A representative of the PEO trade union said that drivers from non-EU countries are already employed in Cyprus.
Bus drivers currently earn about €1,600 per month, excluding overtime.
Penalty points and traffic light concerns
Another issue raised concerns drivers who risk losing their licences due to accumulated penalty points.
Drivers have reported receiving fines for crossing stop lines at traffic lights and have proposed the installation of countdown timers at signals.
A representative of EMEL, the Limassol bus company, said that 85 bus drivers are currently close to losing their licences because of penalty points.