Night buses rolled back as new buses roll out

OSEL’s Monday to Saturday night bus service in Nicosia will be reduced to just Fridays and Saturdays this week because of a lack of passengers, while Limassol received an extra 26 buses.

The nightly services from Nicosia to Lythrodontas, Arediou, Lympis, Pyrga have been cancelled, while nightly services from Nicosia to Tseri, Geri and Anthoupoli will run on Fridays and Saturdays, at 10.30pm, 12.30am and 3am.

The last buses to all destinations during the week will be the 7.10pm and the 11.15pm.

Bus driver Demos Antoniou said yesterday that few people have used the weekday night buses – with most carrying no passengers – and that he was unsure how long the service would remain in place.

However, some clubbers had used the service at weekends, either because they did not own a car or they wanted to have a few drinks.

In contrast, Antoniou said, the last buses of the day to leave Nicosia are very popular and often full.

The cancellation coincides with the arrival of 26 new buses in Limassol; meeting 70 per cent of planned routes. Another 44 are expected to arrive by mid-December, which will cover the remaining rural routes.

OSEL manager George Kyriacou said yesterday: “We can expect that the new buses will persuade even more Limassolians to try out the service and we consistently predict an upward trend.”

Asked about the additional routes, Kyriacou said that in some neighbourhoods north of the centre the roads are too small for the large 12-metre buses, but they have ordered smaller, nine- metre buses to arrive in Spring.

OSEL President Iordanis Iordanou said the company will issue leaflets containing maps and bus routes on Friday, and once this is complete will begin writing an English translation of their website.

Until then, leaflets covering current routes and times are available for free from Nicosia bus terminal’s Kiosk in Solomou square.

Alternatively, more information is available on 77 77 77 55 or on the website http://www.osel.com.cy/ which Iordanou said would be translated into English on December 15.

A Turkish translation of the website is also in the pipeline.

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