Filenews 16 January 2023 - by Ioanna Mantzipa
On the streets of Limassol within the month of February 2023 will run the fully equipped and brand new buses of EMEL. The fleet of new buses will be with Euro 6 type engines, of the most modern conventional anti-pollution technology, has already begun to be loaded on a large cargo ship in China and is expected in the coming days to begin the long journey to the port of Limassol.
The flagship of the new fleet will be the 35 6-metre electric buses that will make Limassol one of the most electrified cities in relation to city buses, the representative of EMEL, Petros Theocharides, tells "F". Although the new buses, according to the EMEL schedule, should have arrived in Cyprus these days, however, due to the strict restrictive measures due to the pandemic in China, the war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia there was a delay in some of the electrical and electronic components, as well as gearboxes that had to be transported from EU countries (such as Germany) to China. Specifically, the 150 new buses will arrive from China while the remaining 27 from Europe.
The buses will be located at the end of January in Limassol and after being inspected and all the appropriate preparations are done by EMEL, they will take to the streets of the city to serve the passenger public within February 2023. This is a huge investment, which together with other infrastructure and information and passenger service systems, is in the order of €26 million and the aim is to radically change the public transport of Limassol, upgrading it significantly. The 35 6-metre electric buses will be able to carry up to 24 passengers, will run on routes in the urban core of the city and will run a total length of 2 million kilometres per year, with zero pollutants and with up to 50% reduced noise. Actions are taken so that their charging after the first months is done through RES.
In addition to the upgrade of the fleet, EMEL will in the near future begin the reconstruction of three stations for passengers with modern amenities, with provisions for improving the service and rest of bus drivers. It is recalled that at its last meeting for 2022, the Limassol Municipal Council approved a package of measures to alleviate the city's traffic problem. Among the measures is the construction of bus lanes on Anexartisias Street and the coastal front, as well as the creation of a light traffic area in the city centre.
Three new park & ride spaces
The Ministry of Transport is promoting the creation of three new park & ride spaces. The two will also serve passengers from other cities, since they will be close to the motorway and specifically to Polemidia and Agios Tychonas. The third will take place on Epaminonda Street, which is why the public market there has been moved, where EMEL will also develop modern passenger service infrastructure.
