EMEL announces that, following the letter from the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Works, received on the afternoon of December 3, 2023, regarding the immediate cessation of service on regular and student routes by buses with more than 22 passenger seats lacking an automatic fire suppression system in the engine compartment, in compliance with the ministerial decision and pending clarifications, the transportation of students on a small number of school routes will be affected starting tomorrow, Monday.
It is clarified that all EMEL buses used on regular urban and regional routes falling under the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Works’ announcement (more than 22 passenger seats) are equipped with modern and certified European standard automatic fire suppression systems in the engine compartment, in addition to approved fire extinguishers inside the buses and all required sensors.
Therefore, regular routes are not affected by the Ministry of Transport’s regulation, and they will continue to operate normally.
Furthermore, from Monday morning, December 4, until further notice, buses serving students of public schools (high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools) will be withdrawn from service without affecting the buses’ other activities, a small number of buses with more than 22 seats serving students through EMEL subcontractors.
It is emphasized that these buses meet all age and safety specifications set forth by EU Directives and Regulations, have the necessary type approvals, and have successfully passed the required technical inspections three months ago.
The reason for the temporary withdrawal from serving public school students is the absence of an automatic fire suppression system in the engine compartment, a requirement that did not exist in European Regulations before September 1, 2021, i.e., at the time of the registration of these buses.
EMEL, understanding its obligations regarding social sensitivities and despite the very short notice given for the immediate cessation of service – issued on Saturday night through the Ministry of Transport announcement – informs that despite its efforts to minimize the impact of this decision on students and parents, the temporary suspension of service by these 16 buses, which have a total capacity of 815 student transport seats, estimates that approximately 500 students will be affected.
The 22 school routes affected (out of approximately 160 executed daily) are:
Μουταγιάκκα Λύκειο Λινόπετρας (Δ7)
-Πολεμίδια – Λύκειο Πολεμιδίων (Β3)
-Πολεμίδια – Λύκειο Πολεμιδίων (Β6)
-Νίκου Ευαγόρου (Παλώδια)– Λύκειο Αγίας Φύλας (Α11)
-Γερμασόγεια – Δημοτικό Σχολείο Γερμασόγειας
-Σανίδα, Λ. Λινόπετρας – Α Τεχνική.
-Μονή, Λ. Λινόπετρας – Α. Τεχνική
-Πύργος – Α. Τεχνική
-Πύργος – Αγιος Νικόλαος
-Μοναγρούλι – Δημοτικό Σχολείο Μοναγρουλίου
-Κυβίδες, Αγιος Σίλας – Α Τεχνική
-Κυβίδες, Απόστολος Λουκάς – Α Τεχνική
-Σούνι, Χανάτζια – Γυμνάσιο Ομόδους
-Καλαβασός – Λ. Λινόπετρας, Α&Β Τεχνική
-Σιλύκου – Γυμνάσιο Λεμύθου
-Φοινί – Δημοτικό Τριμίκλινης
-Λιμνάτης – Δημοτικό Τριμίκλινης
-Πελένδρι – Αγ. Φύλα – Α. Τεχνική
-Σιλύκου, Αγ. Γεώργιος – Γυμνάσιο Ομόδους
-Καλό Χωριό – Γυμνάσιο&Λύκειο Αγ. Φύλας, Τσίρειο Γυμνάσιο – Α. Τεχνική
-Φασούλα, Σπιτάλι – Γυμνάσιο&Λύκειο Αγ. Φύλας, Τσίρειο Γυμνάσιο – Α. Τεχνική
-Αψιού, Γεράσα – Γυμνάσιο&Λύκειο Αγ. Φύλας, Τσίρειο Γυμνάσιο – Α. Τεχνική
Due to the extremely short notice provided in the relevant decision by the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Works following the incident involving a bus in another province on Friday, December 1, despite its efforts to minimize the prohibition’s effects, EMEL regrets that it was unable to avoid the non-operation of the aforementioned 22 student routes and apologizes to the affected students and their families.
In the coming days, efforts are being made to further reduce the problem if the measure continues. Simultaneously, actions are taken to secure engine fire suppression systems to meet the requirement for additional safety.
