North Cyprus transport operators threaten not to start school transportation on 14 September

The Kar-İş Association of Public Transport Operators has warned that school transportation in North Cyprus may not begin with the start of the school year on 14 September. One week before schools open, transport operators have still received neither a protocol with the government, nor approved fares, nor lists of routes and the number of students.

Kar-İş Chairman Fuat Topaloğlu said that neither the government nor the relevant ministries had taken a single concrete step. “Schools will open in a week. Despite all our appeals and demands, there has been no response,” he said.

Kar-İş is demanding that a protocol be signed with the government, minimum fares be established, transportation fees be regulated and payments for attendants be reviewed. After the previous protest action, transport operators met with Finance Minister Özdemir Berova and agreed on the regularity of payments for school routes, but there has been no progress on fares and security deposits.

Another problem is the lack of data for planning. “We were not given any information about how many students there are or which routes are open. We asked for it, but even that was not done,” Topaloğlu said.

According to him, the sector is operating in a difficult financial position: to run the routes, transport operators borrow money at an annual interest rate of 53%, while the sector is also facing a shortage of drivers. Topaloğlu called on the government to provide transport operators with the same long-term financing at low interest rates that other sectors receive.

Transport operators do not object to inspections. “We are not avoiding either inspections or roadworthiness tests; we are saying: let them carry them out,” Topaloğlu said, adding that vehicles are serviced as the companies’ capabilities allow. He placed responsibility for a possible disruption to school transportation on the government and the relevant ministries.