Cyprus’ main international airport at Larnaca, will, as of next week, have a bus service, linking it with the main towns. The decision was taken by the government to help locals and visitors travel cheaply to and from the airport. The cost of the bus service to the capital Nicosia, in the centre, will be five euro.
The Larnaca – Limassol trip (on the south) will cost seven euro but the cost of the Larnaca – Pafos, on the west, has not been fixed yet.
The Minister of Communications and Works Nikos Nikolaides said on Thursday that the overwhelming majority of Cypriots (95%) had asked for such a service, as an alternative to the taxi service, which is more costly.
“This bus service is not going to affect the taxi services at Larnaca airport,” he assured taxi drivers on Thursday at a meeting.
According to a government survey, some 60% of Cypriots traveling to and from Larnaca airport do it in a private vehicle, 26% use their own car and park in the airport car park and another 15% get there in their car which they deposit in places outside the airport car park, while some 6% use a taxi to get to the airport.
The Minister dismissed a demand by the taxi drivers to operate the bus service every 2 to 3 hours, saying this would not serve the public.
The bus service, he explained, will run in coordination with the flights arrivals and departures at Larnaca airport.