Nicosia City Bus Fares Increase by 50%, Leaving Commuters in Disarray

As gas and fuel prices continue to rise, the recent hike in bus fares has left residents frustrated and worried about the impact on their daily lives. The city's public bus fares have now jumped from 20 TL to 30 TL.

Expressing their discontent, commuters questioned the fairness of such an increase, with many asking, "What have we done to deserve a 50% fare hike for the bus we take to work every day?" and "If we can't afford the bus, and not everyone has a car, are we supposed to walk everywhere?"

As schools reopen, the situation is expected to become even more challenging for students who rely on city buses, especially when stationery costs have already reached up to 3,000 TL.

Some citizens have also claimed that the fare for the Gönyeli-Nicosia route has increased to 35 TL, raising concerns about the overall cost of living.

Fuat Topaloğlu, President of the Cyprus Turkish Contemporary Public Vehicles Operators Association (Kar-İş), expressed his dissatisfaction with the fare increase, stating, "Although fares haven't increased for a year, we are not pleased with this sudden rise."

Highlighting that all their costs are based on foreign currency, Topaloğlu added, "We wish there was an inquiry into the costs, and we didn't have to raise fares." He further emphasized that fuel prices have seen increases approximately every 10 days.