Free transportation for students from large families: the issue remains unresolved.

The Cyprus parliament has raised the issue of expanding the right to free public transport for students from large families. The request was made to the Ministry of Transport by AKEL party MP Andreas Pasiurtidis, who highlighted the increasing expenses of such families, especially when children study away from home.

The MP asked whether the ministry plans to include students from large families among the recipients of free transport on both urban and intercity routes, emphasizing that transport costs are becoming a significant financial burden for households with many children.

In response, Transport Minister Alexis Vafiadis stated that currently all students are entitled to a 50% discount on regular bus routes under the state’s social policy. Additionally, for the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 academic years, schoolchildren (but not university students) from large families attending public secondary and technical schools are fully exempt from transport fees.

However, the key point raised by Pasiurtidis remains unresolved: the benefit does not extend to higher education students. The ministry only stated that it is "in the process of studying" the possibility of expanding the program. Data have already been requested from organizations representing the interests of large and five-child families to assess potential costs, but no deadlines or political commitments were announced.

Thus, despite acknowledging the problem, students from five-child families still have to cover a significant part of transport costs, especially for regular intercity trips. This increases social inequality and raises questions about equal access to higher education for families with higher financial burdens.

The MP’s initiative has once again brought to the agenda the need for a more targeted social policy in transport. For now, the issue remains open — and depends on whether the ministry’s proposal will eventually be turned into a concrete decision.