The Ministry of Communications is examining the possibility of creating a railway line and three tram lines in Nicosia, in an effort to win the bet of the public transportation despite the negative data for the public buses.

Speaking before the House Communications Committee, the Minister said that the viability study for the creation of a railway line of light-type train, which will connect Nicosia with the island’s ports and airports, will be ready in November.

“For us, it is a bet for the future of transportation in Cyprus and indeed one of the EU priorities is the railways. Within the framework of the European financing networks, we are sure that we will be able to fund such line largely from the EU funds”, Communications Minister, Erato Kozakou-Marcouli stated.

Besides, the Nicosia mobility plan prepared by experts includes proposals for the creation of three tram lines in the capital, the examination of which is only at first stages.

According to the Minister, the government is expected to prepare studies for the trams too to ascertain whether such measure would be viable since their cost has been estimated at €300 million.

The project can be financed by the EU.

The mobility plan includes one-way streets, bus lines and cycle paths.

During the briefing of the Committee on the public transportation, the Minister supported that the use of public buses has increased in the past year, especially in Paphos.

She reiterated that the Ministry’s aim is to reduce the cost to the benefit of the taxpayers in order to avoid wasting public money. She stressed the need for the revaluation of the cost of €3 per kilometer that the state pays to the joint ventures of the bus drivers and the need to rationalize the routes.