By Bejay Browne.
Paphos will get the first electric bus in Cyprus, a 22-seat, disabled-friendly vehicle, after the contract to supply the vehicle was signed in Paphos in November.
This is a positive move towards establishing the area as a smart and digital city, according to local authorities.
The agreement includes the supply and installation of an electric vehicle charging station and was signed by the mayor of Paphos, Phedonas Phedonos, and the contractor MES ENERGY SA.
The total amount of the contract is €259,777 and the funding is from the ECORouTs Programme, in which the municipality of Paphos participates. The bus, along with the charging station, will be delivered and commissioned within four months, said a release from the municipality.
The mayor said that Paphos was the first to acquire an environmentally-friendly, zero-emission electric bus in Cyprus, and called on other municipalities, organisations and companies to do the same. The purchase and marketing of the vehicle is part of the municipality’s efforts to transform Paphos into a “smart and digital city” he said, adding that Paphos would install a solar power plant at a later stage so that the entire electric bus project is completely environmentally friendly.
The electric vehicle will travel two special 5km and 4km “green” routes, designed specifically to highlight the city’s cultural and historical monuments and it will be free to use.
These round trips will take place in Paphos old town, as well as part of the tourist coastal area of Kato Paphos. It will include the main historical monuments and points of tourist interest, the municipality said.
“These ‘green’ routes are not intended for mass passenger transport but to highlight Paphos cultural heritage for the main use of tourists and visitors.”
The signposted bus stops will be operated by a telematics system, which will inform the visitor of the arrival of the bus, as well as historical information about the specific point at which it passes through. An online application will also be available.
The ECORouTs project is being implemented in the framework of the Interreg V-A Cooperation Program “Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020”. It has a total budget of € 1,262,200.00 of which the amount of € 336,000,00 applicable to the municipality of Paphos. The municipalities of Heraklion, Chania and Aradippou are also involved in the project.
