Taking the bus in Nicosia does not necessarily save money for people who already own a car, according to a new Audit Office report. The audit, carried out by Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou’s office, examined passenger transport in the capital between 10 November and 1 December 2025. Of the 110 Audit Office staff who rode Nicosia buses during that period, 63 percent said they would not choose the bus again, mainly because the car saves time and offers privacy and more comfort.
The report compared ten scenarios of private car versus bus travel. In one example a petrol car travelling seven kilometres costs 2.59 euros when driven alone, based on the government mileage allowance for civil servants, and 1.29 euros per person when a passenger shares the ride. The same trip by bus costs 2.70 euros. Another case looked at a bus journey from Latsia to the Citizen Service Centre in Engomi, which costs about 4.80 euros each way or 9.60 euros for a return trip. The audit noted that, when travel time is considered, “the benefits of using the bus are called into question”.
Information at stops proved problematic. Fifty‑five percent of bus stops had no route information, and only 13 percent featured electronic displays. Twenty‑two percent lacked both a seat and a shelter, while 32 percent had no shelter at all. In several instances the actual stop was 85 to 135 metres away from the location shown on the operator’s app or website, and abolished stops remained listed. Wrong timetables, inaccurate stop mapping and inconsistencies between the website route planner and the Pame app were also found. For a trip from Zakynthou Street in Aglantzia to Esperidon Street in Nicosia the planner indicated a bus would pass stop 684 at 8.37 am, whereas the timetable shows the stop at 7.40 am and the next at 10.37 am.
Accessibility was another concern, with 56 percent of participants walking more than ten minutes to reach a stop and 36 percent walking between five and ten minutes. On many routes buses ran only every one or two hours, and when a transfer was required 47 percent judged the total travel time unsatisfactory. Driver behaviour was generally satisfactory, but one driver refused to help a mother with a pushchair board the bus, and others failed to hand out tickets or stop when requested. The Transport Ministry argued that vehicle purchase costs should be included in any comparison, while the Auditor General said most people already own a car and the analysis should focus on the cost of leaving the car at home and taking the bus.