The transport ministry is preparing proposals to attract professional drivers in order to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the “Pame Express” service. The contractor has indicated that it will maintain the service for at least the next two months, pending a comprehensive proposal that will permanently resolve the issue.
The “Pame Express” service was discussed at length on Thursday during a session of the House Transport Committee, along with problems faced by bus drivers in relation to the traffic camera enforcement system.
Andreas Nikiforou, Head of the Public Passenger Transport Directorate, stated that the “Pame Express” service serves 500–600 passengers a day, while a total of 100,000 journeys were recorded in 2025.
Bus drivers 'increasingly scarce'
“The risk to Pame Express stems from a problem we face both in Cyprus and across Europe — the shortage of drivers, who are becoming an increasingly scarce profession,” Nikiforou said.
He noted that the Ministry of Transport’s position is that it is the contractor’s responsibility to recruit drivers. “However, we cannot turn a blind eye to the problem,” he added.
“We have held several meetings with the company. We are trying to find solutions, and there are some ideas in the pipeline. The Ministry must take certain steps to resolve the driver shortage,” he said.
Among the proposals being prepared by the Ministry is a reduction in the minimum age required to obtain a professional driving licence.
Plans and training considered
“We have also examined the possibility of cooperation with the Ministry of Education to offer courses, where after three years of study participants would obtain the relevant certification,” he noted.
A representative of PEO said that “Pame Express” is an essential service and must continue. A representative of SEK added that the union has proposed lowering the minimum age for obtaining a professional driving licence.
“It is not a solution to reduce other routes in order to maintain an additional service such as Pame Express,” said Tryfonas Hadjichristoforou, Chief Financial Officer of Cyprus Public Transport.
Drivers from India
“We have said that we will do our best to maintain the programme. We set a timeframe of around two months during which we can just about sustain the service, in order to develop a comprehensive proposal within that period,” he added.
A representative of the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) said the problem could be addressed by hiring drivers from third countries that operate right-hand drive vehicles, such as India. “We could bring in 150–200 drivers to serve the public,” he said.
DISY MP Demitris Demetriou proposed amending the law to allow professional driving licences to be issued at a younger age. “It could also be possible to subsidise their basic training, which comes at a cost,” he added.
“In order to bring in drivers from third countries, we would need to intervene in a number of legislative frameworks. Let us instead look at how to recruit drivers from the local population,” the DISY MP concluded.
AKEL MP Costas Costa said that schemes to attract drivers must be introduced. “The state needs to announce a plan that will draw young people into the profession,” he said.
Regarding the contract with the operator, he noted that “if there is any provision allowing the contractor to suspend any route, then the contract is problematic”.
On the issue of third-country drivers, a PEO representative said that such drivers are already employed by two companies.
Regarding wages, a SEK representative said that drivers earn around €1,600 per month, excluding overtime.
Traffic camers cause licence risks
Bus drivers risk losing their professional licences due to penalty points stemming from issues with the traffic camera enforcement system. The matter was also discussed on Thursday during the Transport Committee meeting.
Drivers have called for the introduction of warning systems at traffic lights, such as countdown timers or amber warning signals similar to those used in Greece and other European countries.
It was noted that most fines were issued for crossing the stop line, while minor injuries have also occurred as drivers attempt to stop in time at traffic lights.
“In Limassol, 26 drivers are losing their jobs and a further 85 are at risk due to penalty points. These are mainly drivers on the Limassol seafront route, which operates around 100 services per day,” said a representative of EMEL.
A transport ministry representative noted that responsibility for the operation of traffic lights lies with the Public Works Department.
The session of the Transport Committee concluded with an intervention by House Speaker Annita Demetriou, who suggested that an urgent letter be sent to the competent ministry so that all necessary answers on the matter are provided to Parliament.
CNA