From 3 August, residents and visitors of Nicosia and Larnaca will pay more for public transport. Cyprus Public Transport (CPT) has announced changes to bus fares, stressing that the increase is provided under its current contract with the government and is not an independent decision by the operator.
According to the company, notice of the fare revision was submitted to the authorities 30 days in advance, as required by the agreement. Andreas Nikiforou, Head of the Public Passenger Transport Directorate, said the fare adjustment is being carried out under the approved mechanism and is based on the official pricing formula.
Why bus fares are increasing
Under the contract, a special indexation formula is applied every two years during the summer period. The calculation takes into account data from the Statistical Service of Cyprus, including inflation, fuel prices, employee wages, and bus fleet maintenance costs. The company explained that in 2024 it absorbed the increased operating costs itself to avoid passing additional expenses on to passengers.
As a result, 2026 has seen two fare increases aimed at bringing ticket prices in line with current economic conditions. This system operates under Cyprus' state-regulated public transport model, where the maximum fare levels are reviewed every two years, while the operator decides whether to apply the full permitted increase.
Which fares will change
The most noticeable increase will affect single urban tickets purchased with cash. A standard ticket will now cost €2.70, an increase of 30 cents. Fares for night routes will also rise, with cash-paid tickets increasing to €4.70.
Travel passes will also become more expensive:
- a weekly pass on an anonymous transport card will cost €46.80;
- a weekly pass on a personalised transport card will cost €33.40.
At the same time, the authorities continue to encourage the use of electronic transport cards and cashless payments, which allow passengers to travel at lower fares compared with paying in cash.
School fares will remain unchanged
Despite the overall fare increase, prices for school travel passes will remain unchanged. The decision was made following negotiations between Cyprus Public Transport and the Cyprus Ministry of Education. Discounted fares for students will remain at last year's level for at least another year.
The development of public transport remains one of the key priorities of Cyprus' transport policy. In recent years, the island has continued to modernise its bus fleet, expand the use of environmentally friendly vehicles, introduce digital payment services, and implement real-time bus tracking systems. The authorities expect that improvements to infrastructure and service quality will make public transport a more attractive alternative to private cars, despite the gradual increase in fares.
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Photos: DOM, Pixabay
