A lady promoting tourism in Cyprus at Larnaca airport, told my mum on her way back to the UK that public transport in Cyprus is now fantastic! It’s efficient and cheap. I am fortunate enough to have a car and don’t need to use the public transport here but I’ve always seen it as very archaic and third world like. I had my first public transport experience on Monday and wondered if I shared mine with you, maybe you’d share yours with me.
The bus was due at 5pm. I had a feeling it might be late (Cypriot style) but wanted to give this new ‘fantastic’ system the benefit of the doubt. So i planted myself at the bus stop at 4.55pm. My first hurdle was a middle aged Turkish Cypriot man that decided I needed company. He told me stories of his work, about people he knew. He gave me some relationship advice – he told me I had to be careful who i date – English men like to drink and Romanian men like to gamble!
A few old battered buses passed while ‘Alberto’ / ”Kemal’ talked to me. (I have no idea why he had 2 names) The battered buses weren’t like the new shinny ones I’d seen on the news flying around Nicosia. Then out of nowhere, Kemal was rescued by a tiny Indian boy on a moped. It was like a scene from a B-movie! He put on a helmet, bid me farewell and rode off into the sunset.
So I was left waiting for my bus. Another grubby little bus pulled up which had a sign that read ‘Oroklini’ in the window. that’s near me I thought. So I asked if he turned off by the police station. He said yes and asked me where I wanted to go. I needed the next village down but i said i was happy to get on and then walk from the police station (about an hours walk) He looked at me like I’d suddenly grown another eye ball. ‘Walk! Don’t be silly there’s another bus right behind me going your way just wait’. And with that he practically drove off with me hanging out of the door!
So walking didnt appear to be an option.
Finally at 5.45pm my bus came and it was a brand new shiny bus! I received a ticket in exchnage for my €1 coin – which was very good if you ask me. I sat down and saw a variety of different cultures. So this is where they all hide I thought. It took me back to my London Transport days and i longed to press the big red button to hear the beep and make the bus stop. I couldn’t wait! Once I was actually on the bus, it was very fast. I must admit the poor people at the other bus stops weren’t that impressed when he flew past them but it was good for me as I got home within 10 minutes!
So if I ever see this woman at the airport telling people stories about how amazing our public transport system is, I will tell her that the Cypriot buses have definitely come a long way but they do need to stick to their timetable and actually pick up other passengers along the way!
