The Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Communications and Public Works is today examining the specifications, tendering process, and final outcome of the procurement of 5,000 new bus shelters across Cyprus. The discussion was initiated by AKEL MP Kostas Kostas following citizen complaints regarding the design of the first 180 shelters already installed.

Two weeks ago, Mr. Kostas called on the Ministry of Transport to look into the issue after receiving reports that the newly placed shelters were too small in size.

As he told OffsiteNews, following these complaints, he decided to personally visit several of the new shelters. “Unfortunately, I saw for myself that the benches and roofs are indeed very small,” he said. “I believe that not only are the shelters too small, but they have also been installed the wrong way, with the support pillar and bench placed on the incorrect side.”

Mr. Kostas noted that after he raised the issue, representatives from the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Public Works assured him that the bus shelters were installed based on specific studies and technical specifications.

“They told me the shelter roofs are small because, in these particular cases, the shelters were placed on narrow pavements,” he said. “But I went and checked myself — the pavements are quite wide. In one location, the previous shelter was still in place behind the new one, and its bench was double the size.”

He also criticized the decision to install such small shelters in high-traffic areas such as schools and tourist-heavy locations like Protaras and Ayia Napa, adding: “We’re spending €80 million, and the shelters end up not serving the public.”

The Ministry, for its part, defended the orientation of the structure, arguing that placing the support frame on a specific side allows for the future installation of speakers that will inform visually impaired passengers when a bus is approaching. “After conducting my own research, I found that in all right-hand drive countries, the frame is on the opposite side. There have been cases where people missed their bus because the driver couldn’t see them,” Mr. Kostas countered.

The Ministry further stated that the frame was placed as it is to protect passengers from wind and airborne dust particles.

Mr. Kostas has requested that today’s session be attended not only by the Ministry of Transport and Public Works Department, but also by the Ministry of Finance, the Union of Municipalities, the Union of Communities, the project designer, the General Accountant, and the Auditor General.

“I want them to justify tomorrow, with tangible evidence, why the shelters were installed this way,” he said. “If it’s proven that a mistake was made, there must be room for correction.”