Larnaca district school bus route suspended after vandalism

Larnaca, Cyprus. A school bus route serving villages in the Larnaca district was suspended on Thursday after vandalism and disorder damaged seats and raised safety concerns, the transport ministry said.

Public transport director Andreas Nikiforou said warnings to students had failed to stop the behaviour, which worsened the following day.

Safety concerns

The company operating the route informed the ministry that a safety issue had arisen, leading to the suspension of services until those responsible are identified and excluded from future travel.

“For safety reasons, it simply cannot operate,” Nikiforou said.

He said only a small proportion of students were involved and that the measure was intended to protect passengers using the service responsibly.

Investigation

The incidents have been reported to police, while schools, the education ministry, transport authorities and parents’ associations have also been informed.

Nikiforou said those responsible had not yet been identified. He said identification could result from parents or students reporting incidents to school boards.

Bus inspections

The transport ministry said inspections of buses had been intensified for the current school year, exceeding requirements under national legislation and existing contracts with service providers.

It said safety depended on both the technical condition of vehicles and conditions inside them. Recent vandalism and disruptive behaviour posed risks to passengers and affected drivers’ concentration, it said.

The ministry added that damaged buses may be withdrawn for repairs, while limited replacement vehicles and drivers can make temporary service suspensions unavoidable.