Cyprus’ main long-haul bus operator, InterCity Buses, released an urgent travel bulletin on 27 October warning of **route diversions and temporary stop closures** in Nicosia, Larnaca and Paralimni from the evening of 27 October through midday 28 October. The disruption is linked to traffic restrictions for Greece’s Ochi-Day military-student parades, a public holiday that traditionally draws large crowds and dignitaries.
Key hubs such as Nicosia’s Solomos Square and Larnaca’s Finikoudes sea-front will be out of service for up to seven hours, forcing coaches to start and terminate at secondary depots. In Paralimni, the Saint George Square stop will be unusable during both evening rehearsal events and the official parade window. InterCity has apologised for the inconvenience and advised passengers heading to Larnaca or Paphos airports to **allow at least two extra hours** travel time or consider taxi connections.
For corporate travellers, expatriate families and tour operators, the notice underscores the importance of factoring national-day closures into mobility calendars. HR mobility teams should communicate contingencies to arriving assignees unfamiliar with local holidays, while travel-management companies may wish to pre-book hotel shuttles or private transfers to avoid missed flights.
The detours also foreshadow growing pressure on Cyprus’ inter-urban transport network as holiday events intensify toward year-end. Authorities have signalled that a digital real-time passenger-information system will roll out in 2026, but until then operators rely on website posts and social media for service alerts—channels that global mobility managers should monitor closely.
From a compliance perspective, the rerouting does not affect visa-overstay grace periods, but overstaying foreign nationals should be mindful that longer road journeys could push them past airport immigration curfew cut-offs. Employers are advised to double-check exit-stamp deadlines for short-term assignees departing on 28 October.
Key hubs such as Nicosia’s Solomos Square and Larnaca’s Finikoudes sea-front will be out of service for up to seven hours, forcing coaches to start and terminate at secondary depots. In Paralimni, the Saint George Square stop will be unusable during both evening rehearsal events and the official parade window. InterCity has apologised for the inconvenience and advised passengers heading to Larnaca or Paphos airports to **allow at least two extra hours** travel time or consider taxi connections.
For corporate travellers, expatriate families and tour operators, the notice underscores the importance of factoring national-day closures into mobility calendars. HR mobility teams should communicate contingencies to arriving assignees unfamiliar with local holidays, while travel-management companies may wish to pre-book hotel shuttles or private transfers to avoid missed flights.
The detours also foreshadow growing pressure on Cyprus’ inter-urban transport network as holiday events intensify toward year-end. Authorities have signalled that a digital real-time passenger-information system will roll out in 2026, but until then operators rely on website posts and social media for service alerts—channels that global mobility managers should monitor closely.
From a compliance perspective, the rerouting does not affect visa-overstay grace periods, but overstaying foreign nationals should be mindful that longer road journeys could push them past airport immigration curfew cut-offs. Employers are advised to double-check exit-stamp deadlines for short-term assignees departing on 28 October.
