Cyprus Mail 7 August 2020 - by Jonathan Shkurko
One of the buses seen during the demonstration on Friday
On Friday morning the Cyprus Public Transport organised a demonstration outside the Kapnos Airport Shuttle headquarters in Aglandjia in an attempt to prove that buses in Cyprus are safe, following an incident occurred on Thursday morning when a runaway bus crashed into several vehicles on a busy Nicosia street.
“We want to demonstrate the safety features of our buses following unfounded rumours that they travel on their own, which is definitely not true,” the business developing manager of the Cyprus Public Transport Alexandros Kamberos told Cyprus Mail.
The incident that took place on Thursday appeared to be similar to another incident in July during which a 52-year-old bus driver father of three children was killed after the parked vehicle rolled forward and crushed him to death in in Engomi.
“What happened during those incidents was pure human error,” said Kamberos. “That’s what happens when drivers bypass safety regulations.
“We are conducting an internal investigation and rest assured measures will be taken on top of other safety measures we already have in place.
“The driver involved in the accident on Thursday is currently suspended until the results of the internal investigation are out. Then it will be up to the senior management of the company to decide what to do next.”
The Cyprus Public Transport recently issued leaflets with instructions for drivers on how to use the parking brakes and how to immobilise the buses. The company also announced it will provide additional training for the drivers.
Kamberos added that all public buses in Cyprus have to pass the EU safety regulations before they are allowed to circulate in the island.
“On top of that, the department of electrical and mechanical services also conducts a second inspection, so there is no chance to find faulty buses on our streets.”
An official statement later on Friday said that following the investigation, it would not “hesitate to take the necessary disciplinary, or other measures, required in the case of negligence”.
It added that the company had taken all the required precautionary measures to ensure the safe functioning of their buses and has offered its staff all the necessary training required for professional drivers.
“As an additional measure, the company will now place a special device next to the driver’s window to ensure any mishandling or human error are avoided in the future,” the announcement said.
The company said it had demonstrated the advanced safety systems that its buses are equipped with and are certified by the European Union.
