Limassol bus drivers face license revocation amid traffic congestion crisis

Limassol’s public transport operator, EMEL, is facing a major crisis as 26 bus drivers risk losing their professional licenses due to accumulated penalty points from traffic cameras. Between February 24, 2024, and May 31, 2025, cameras recorded 560 traffic violations involving 103 drivers, resulting in €137,840 in fines and 1,409 penalty points. The majority of these incidents, primarily running red lights or crossing stop lines, occurred at two specific intersections on 28th October and Amathountos avenues, where buses pass daily. EMEL management attributes these violations to the necessity of navigating heavy traffic and the dangerous decision between sudden, heavy braking of 20-ton vehicles or clearing intersections.

This crisis coincides with broader systemic failures in Limassol’s urban planning. EMEL CEO Giorgos Kyriakou stated that the city is paying the price for poor decisions made 25 years ago, leaving no space for infrastructure improvements to alleviate gridlock. While EMEL reported an increase in ridership—transporting 5.14 million passengers in the first nine months of 2026 compared to 4.36 million during the same period in 2025—drivers remain under immense pressure. Transport Minister Evi Tsolaki acknowledged the unbearable traffic situation and announced that new infrastructure projects, including improvements on Evagora Laniti Avenue and the Limassol-Saittas road, are scheduled for tender in 2027 to address the ongoing gridlock.