TWO red open-top double decker buses which arrived in Cyprus last week are to offer a little taste of English-style travel for those wanting to take a coach tour in the Ayia Napa area.
The two buses join another bus bought last year by the Red Bus company when it launched their novel form of touring. The company operates in the Ayia Napa-Famagusta area offering guided tours of local sites and attractions.
“The open-top red bus tours were quite popular last summer and we hope that with the addition of two more original open-top double decker buses, they will be even more popular this summer,” said David Williams, one of the five partners of the Red Bus Company.
The first open-top bus arrived in March 2008, after Williams and two other British expats, David and Alan Tutton came up with the idea of offering a more original version of coach tours. The three Britons teamed up with two Cypriots to set up the Red Bus Company and put their ideas to work.
The open top bus tours offer guided tours to tourists and locals around the Famagusta area, coastal Ayia Napa, the uninhabited Achna village, Achna Dam, Famagusta town, and even a stroll along the Green Line.
“We are getting the tourists away from the beach and the bars into the villages, to taste some of the authentic local culture. We make stops at local farms, where tourists can buy fresh fruit and vegetables, which has been helping local farmers as well. We try to support the local community,” Williams said.
The double deck buses can seat up to 75 people, with 43 seats on the upper deck.
“Our first tour was done with just two passengers. But we did the whole guided tour just for them as we didn’t want to spoil their holidays,” Williams remembers.
Bringing the open-top double deckers in Cyprus was not an easy enterprise. The Red Bus Company initially had to overcome a law that forbids the use of open-top buses in Cyprus. Double deck buses are also expensive, costing approximately €34,000 each.
n Ticket prices are €15 for adults, €10 for children and €45 for a family ticket. For more information visit www.redbuscyprus.com
