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There were supposed to be 72 new buses in Paphos. Two years later, there were only 32.
The Paphos public transport operator committed to introducing 72 new buses into its fleet within 12 months. However, an inspection conducted in February 2026 revealed that only 32 vehicles met the contract terms – even though approximately two years had passed since the end of the transition period.
CYPRNews has determined that the contract in question concerns the Paphos Transport Organization (OSYPA), currently operating as Pafos Buses. This is confirmed by the contract's signing date, its ten-year term, the service area, and the announced purchase of exactly 72 new buses in 2022.
The rest of the article is below
New buses in Paphos were supposed to arrive by February 2024
The agreement between the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and the operator was signed on November 30, 2022. Initially, the transition period was to end after 12 months.
The operator ordered 82 buses between January 26 and February 7, 2023. The Ministry deemed the time needed to place the orders justified and extended the deadline for fulfilling the obligations from November 30, 2023, to February 7, 2024.
According to the implementation plan, after the end of the transition period, the operator was to have its own fleet of 80 buses:
- 72 brand new vehicles,
- three buses from 2010 transferred from the previous contract,
- five buses from 2015 transferred from the previous contract.
The company had previously presented a manufacturer's certificate confirming the possibility of delivering the ordered vehicles within 12 months.
Why the difference between 32 and 34 buses?
The Audit material indicates that by February 2026, the operator had put into operation 32 new buses corresponding to the commitment included in the offer.
However, the table attached to the document shows 34 new vehicles. This is not an error: the two additional buses belonged to a specific category in which the operator exceeded the number previously declared. Therefore, the audit did not count them towards fulfilling the basic fleet structure obligation.
In February 2024, 22 new buses were in use, but 20 were included in the contract implementation assessment. In February 2026, the table showed 34 new vehicles, 32 of which met the requirements of the assessed plan.
In February 2026, the fleet included:
- 34 new buses,
- 33 vehicles transferred from a previous contract,
- 18 rented buses,
- a total of 85 vehicles.
The fleet itself was therefore larger than the required 80 buses. The problem lay in its structure – instead of 72 new vehicles, a significant portion still consisted of older or leased buses.
Audit: penalties did not lead to contract execution
Financial penalties were imposed on the operator, but the Audit Office emphasises that the basic purpose of the contract has still not been achieved.
Even if the Ministry of Transport had acted within the limits of the agreement and used the available funds, approximately two years after the end of the transition period, 40 of the 72 required new buses were still missing.
Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou indicated that the case raises serious doubts about the effectiveness of overseeing public contracts.
The Audit Office highlighted three main problems:
- lack of a quick mechanism for enforcing the performance of essential contract terms,
- the possibility of violating the principles of fair competition and equal treatment of bidders,
- risk of creating a dangerous precedent for other public procurement contracts.
This is about the OSYPA operator in Paphos
In the presented material, the operator is referred to as the "concessionaire," without repeating the company's name. However, the available information clearly links the case to Organismos Sygkoinonion Pafou – OSYPA.
It was OSYPA that signed a ten-year contract with the Ministry of Transport on November 30, 2022, to operate public passenger transport in the Paphos district.
Official information published after the contract was signed indicated that the operator would purchase 72 new buses. The new system was to cover approximately four million kilometers per year, compared to 3.6 million kilometers under the previous contract.
Currently, the operator uses the Pafos Buses brand and operates, among others, connections within the city, the region, to Coral Bay, Polis Chrysochous and Paphos Airport.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Check operators in specific regions, airport connections and up-to-date timetable pages.
What's next for buses in Paphos?
The Audit Office does not question the imposition of penalties, but their effectiveness. Two and a half years after the original deadline, a significant provision of the contract remains unfulfilled.
The amount of the imposed penalties and the new deadline for the operator to introduce the missing buses were not disclosed. It is also unclear whether the Ministry intends to implement further measures stipulated in the contract.
The most important question now is not how many vehicles there are, but when the fleet will be renewed according to the structure that OSYPA presented in its winning bid.
Sources: Audit Office of the Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Transport, ANT1, Philenews.
