School bus programme needs adjustments, MPs hear

A pilot programme called ‘door to door’ to transport primary school aged students benefitted 850 children and cost the state around €800,000 for the 2023-2024 school year, it emerged on Wednesday.

Speaking to the house education committee the head of the public transport department of the transport ministry Andreas Nikiforou said the cost was that high as the programme is offered for free to the pupils.

As reported at the committee meeting, Nikiforou said that the transport ministry is working on the possibility of eliminating some routes for schools located in urban areas due to limited student response and keeping routes in rural areas.

The committee meeting, which met to consider the possibility of expanding the ‘door-to-door’ programme for elementary schools, also addressed the issue of busing middle and technical school students, following interventions by the head of the teaching union Oelmek, Demetris Taliadorou, the head of the teaching union Oltek, Panayiotis Lysandrou, and the head of the secondary school parents’ association, Loizos Constantinou.

Nikiforou added that the service had been successful this year.