By Bejay Browne.
New bus-stop signs incorporating ‘Quick Response’ (QR) codes have been installed along electric bus routes in Paphos according to the municipality.
“Now at the disposal of passengers are special information signs with ‘QR Code’ that have been placed at the stops of the two ‘green routes’ of the electric bus,” it announced.
This is launched along with the internet application for mobile phones (mobile application) that has been integrated in the existing digital tourism and culture platform of ‘Explore Pafos’, they noted.
“Passengers can scan the QR code on their mobile phone and connect to the online application of the electric bus to obtain information in real time about the route of the bus, stops, and both the arrival and departure times, and also for the historical or tourist points of interest of the wider area.”
Users must download the Explore Pafos platform to their mobile phone which is available from the Apple Store and Google Play, and also the two QR codes that are present on the bus stops.
The Explore Pafos platform is powered by innovative augmented reality technology, and is Paphos’ digital tour guide featuring multimedia Information (text, photos, videos, 360) of the district’s major landmarks sorted by category: culture, environment, tourism and services.
It also has an interactive map with points of interest, an event calendar and multilingual content in Greek, English, Russian, Hebrew and German. The platform has been developed within the Smart Cities project (Interreg V-A Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020).
The timetable of routes in Paphos old town starts at 9am and ends at 1pm daily from Monday to Friday. Each journey takes approximately 30 minutes with a waiting time of three minutes at each stop. The public can get on and off the bus at the following stops:
Stop 1: “Attikon” Multipurpose Center, Stop 2: Paphos Archaeological Museum, Stop 3: Markos Drakos Square and Stop 4: Administrative Court.
The timetable of routes in Kato Paphos starts at 4.15pm and ends at 7.45pm, daily from Monday to Friday. Each journey takes approximately 25 minutes with a waiting time of 3 minutes at each stop.
The stops where passengers board and disembark are: Stop 1: Panagia Chrysopolitissa, Stop 2: Church of Agios Antonios, Stop 3: Municipal Baths (Poseidonos Avenue – in front of Annabelle Hotel) and Stop 4: Apostolou Pavlou Avenue (in front of “Hondros” tavern)
The vehicle has a total capacity of 20 people with provisions for people with disabilities.
“This is the first electric bus in Cyprus and its operation by the Municipality of Paphos sends the resounding message of environmental protection by utilising electricity,” it said.
The supply of the bus and the development and construction of the supporting infrastructure was done after relevant tenders in the framework of the implementation of the ECORouTs project of the Interreg V-A Cooperation Programme, “Greece – Cyprus 2014-2020”.
