Audit office highlights failure to update bus fleet in Paphos

The Audit Office of Cyprus has issued a critical report regarding the contract for public bus services in the Paphos district, held by the Paphos Public Transport Organization (OSYPA). Under the agreement signed on November 30, 2022, the contractor was obligated to integrate 72 new buses into the fleet within a 12-month transition period. However, 2.5 years after the deadline, only 32 new vehicles have been introduced.

The Audit Office, led by Auditor General Andreas Papakonstantinou, expressed significant concern over the state’s inability to enforce compliance despite imposing financial penalties. Various sources report the total value of these fines differently, ranging from over 2.37 million euros to over 4.5 million euros. The failure to meet this contractual obligation has raised serious questions regarding service quality, road safety, environmental impact, and potential unfair competition against other bidders who factored the full fleet renewal into their costs.

Ultimately, the report questions the efficacy of the mechanisms used by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works to manage public contracts. It highlights the perception that non-compliance with essential terms is being tolerated by the state, prompting calls for more effective oversight and corrective measures to ensure that public service contractors fulfill their commitments.