The image of an elderly woman lying on the pavement at a Paphos bus stop in the absence of any shelter is “tragic and unacceptable”, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said on Tuesday.
The picture made the rounds on social media, causing fury over the fact that the old woman was exposed to the sun’s heat, while another elderly lady sought to find shelter under the shade of a small tree.
“This is tragic and unacceptable. It is something that no one can tolerate. As such, we have to think of a solution which will deter something like this” Vafeades said.
However, Paphos municipality cried foul claiming there were other motives behind the picture linked to politics.
The women in the image “are mother and daughter who live in a Paphos village.
“According to the community leader, they live a peculiar lifestyle of their own choice, without electricity and basic living conditions,” the municipality said in a statement.
It accused those who shared the image of deliberately taking advantage of the two women, so as to mislead the public and detract the municipality’s works over the past 10 years.
Citizens however, questioned why their lifestyle choice meant there couldn’t be a sheltered bus stop.
The municipality specified the transport ministry had taken this on, and is expected to build a shelter on around 200 bus stops across Paphos and Yeroskipou.
