Cyprus's Fiscal Council is unhappy with how the country handles public transport. The council believes there is a big difference between what the government wants and the money it has. The council's report says the Transport Ministry's plans for 2026 and the next two years are not good enough. Current spending does not help with the growing problems in public transport.
The council says money is mainly used to build more roads. Not enough money goes to important infrastructure for public transport. There is also little planning for the future of mass transit. The report shows that public transport in Cyprus is not attracting many users.
A recent plan tried to get car owners to use buses. However, very few people joined. Only 20 people applied for free bus passes. This was for car owners whose cars were being fixed. Over 10,000 car owners could have applied. This shows that people do not find the current bus service very good.
Eurostat data also shows interesting facts. Cyprus has many buses, 3.2 for every 1,000 people. This is more than the EU average of 1.6. However, many EU countries with fewer buses have better public transport. They have trams and trains. Cyprus does not have these. A lot of buses does not mean better transport.
The Fiscal Council said, "Spending does not focus on long-term solutions." It also said, "Money is spent on roads, not on public transport infrastructure or planning." This means building roads is more important than improving public transport. This affects commuters. They may have to use their cars. Journeys can be very long. They may take two hours or more. The low interest in the free bus pass shows this. The current system is not easy or reliable. The council wants the government to spend money better. This will help create a better public transport network for the future.