IN THE first two months of its operation, the new public transport system served 41 per cent more passengers than in the corresponding period last year, said the Minister of Communications Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis. In numbers, this was an increase of 500,000, which is quite impressive, given the lack of advertising and promotion of the new service.
The biggest increases were recorded in the tourist resorts (Paphos 55 per cent, Famagusta 59 per cent, Larnaca 390 per cent) which could mean that the new users were visitors who had no alternative form of transport. This is no bad thing as a reliable public transport system is a service that is appreciated by tourists, but it is unclear whether more Cypriots are using the new buses. For instance, the increase for Nicosia was only 24 per cent and for Limassol 22 per cent.
Mrs Kozakou-Marcoullis expressed satisfaction with the numbers but admitted that there was still much to be done. “We are still at the beginning, we should all show understanding and patience to see this system gradually develop, in the manner we all want it to develop,” she said on Tuesday. It was a commendable lack of complacency and acceptance that a lot more needed to be done; she invited people to write in with complaints and suggestions as to how to improve the service.
Our suggestion is that more information about, schedules and bus routes must be made easily available to the public. Leaflets must be issued and a web-site set up that contains all information a potential passenger may require. More people would use the bus if they had details about schedules and routes before they left their home, at least until they became familiar with the service.
In fact, the poor publicity and promotion need to be addressed. The service needs to be sold to Cypriots who are accustomed to going everywhere in their cars. Such a strong habit will not change by the wave of a magic want. There must be a marketing strategy and advertising campaigns to persuade people that using the bus would be to their advantage. Every time a new route is launched, it should be promoted; perhaps a weekend, late night-service should be introduced as a way of stopping drink-driving. The service must be publicised and promoted if habits are to change.
It is encouraging the minister recognises that a lot still needs to be done before we have a good public transport system. But the funds required to improve the service depend on attracting more passengers now, which is why providing information and marketing the service is so important.
