Free Bus Passes for Owners of Seized Cars in Cyprus

The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus has approved a measure to provide free bus passes to individuals whose vehicles have been seized and immobilized due to faulty Takata airbags.

This decision follows a proposal by Minister of Transport Alexis Vafeiadis. It will apply to both owners of vehicles that have already been immobilized and those who voluntarily choose not to use their personal vehicles.

Under the proposal, the free bus passes will remain valid until the defective components in the recalled vehicles are replaced.

The estimated annual cost of the program is approximately €6 million.

According to the Department of Road Transport, around 11,500 vehicle owners are expected to benefit from the program at this stage. The cost for each recalled vehicle owner is estimated at €500 for an annual bus pass and €5 for a personalized “Motion” card.

The subsidies will be calculated based on the usage of the “Motion” card, which is already in use for public transportation.

Earlier, the Ministry of Transport announced the recall of around 82,000 vehicles in Cyprus due to faulty Takata airbags.

According to the ministry’s statement:

• 272 vehicles are subject to immediate suspension from operation.
• 138 vehicles have defective Takata airbags.
• An additional 134 vehicles have braking system issues.

The MOT certificates for these vehicles will be canceled, making them inoperable until the defects are addressed.

This decision applies to both the 272 vehicles already suspended from operation (138 due to airbags and 134 due to brake issues) and the 82,000 vehicles that will be recalled in the future.