Primary pupils force school bus to stop in Limassol incident

On Thursday, May 7, a school bus in the north-eastern part of the Limassol district was forced to stop mid-route due to disruptive behavior by primary school pupils. According to Petros Theocharides, spokesperson for the transport company EMEL, the children removed safety hammers, abused the driver, hit seats, and obstructed the bus escort. This incident is reportedly the first of its kind involving primary-age children in Cyprus, following previous disruptions by secondary and lyceum students. The driver followed safety protocols and halted the vehicle until a representative from the state supervisory authority arrived to restore order. Some pupils challenged the authority of the supervisor during the intervention. Following the event, some parents criticized the staff for being too strict and threatened to file complaints, while the bus driver refused to operate the same route again. The school headmaster and parent association members have since intervened, and transport services are currently running with partial normality. Safety protocols dictate that any recurrence of such behavior will result in the suspension of the bus route.