The people behind the wheel: Julio Tironi’s story, Cyprus Public Transport

Can you tell us about your role at Cyprus Public Transport Company?

I have been the CEO of Cyprus Public Transport (CPT) since the launch of the company in July 2020. A CEO forms an integral part of the financial activity and, in the case of our company, the role entails the oversight of an organisation of 600 employees across the districts of Nicosia and Larnaca.

Part of my role has been to unify the employees that had been inherited from the previous two companies, which merged to create this company, into a single operating unit and contribute to the integration of the values and methodologies of our mother group into the local operation.

The role, at times, has been challenging, considering that we started operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many matters require face-to-face meetings, which, at the time, had to be done remotely. Bringing everyone together to ensure that we all understood what new initiatives were in place was part of that challenge, but we did so successfully.

However, we have steered through all of these challenges and, looking back now, as we near our third year anniversary, the company has become a very strong unit, providing efficient transport in the two districts. We are proud that, in a very short period of time, we have managed to upgrade the public transport service to European standards.

What inspired you to seek a career in the transport industry?

I made my first steps in this industry at a very early age, just after finishing my first university degree. Mobility was traditional and often considered an ‘old’ industry, but the constraints and difficulty of urban life has enabled our industry to be reborn as one of the most dynamic, modern and challenging ones.

The traditional urbanistic model has started to collapse and the quality of urban life has started to diminish. Thus, mobility has started to play a new and relevant role as a tool to solve these problems. This seemed like an interesting challenge to undertake and, moving forward to today, it still seems like a good decision. Mobility, as an industry, is and will become more relevant as the urban landscape continues to grow and mass mobility will be the only sustainable way to move around.

Have you experienced any challenges in your role and, if yes, how have you overcome them?

Having the oversight of large entities consisting of employees of a former company always comes with its challenges. Having to re-train employees with a new culture and gaining their trust is not always easy, especially after a 10-year tenure under a different regime which has caused certain habits to become second nature, making it difficult to change.

Our industry being a unionised industry means that we also have to take into consideration the requirements of the workers union and align them with our strategy in order to keep a healthy and frictionless work environment. These challenges require a lot of work and alignment meetings to ensure that everything is as required and in line with the concession contract that we are operating for the authorities.

In addition, we are facing many constraints in our way to become the preferred mode of transport in the cities. Traditionally, public transport is not the preferred method of transport and, thus, we need to put in huge effort to promote the public transport service.

Has a career in transport changed your perception of the industry as a whole?

Absolutely. There is immense opportunity for development in this industry, and there are constant technological innovations, integrated geoinformations and developments in relation to the laws and policies that force us to optimise and cultivate new sustainable strategies and plans. When I reflect on my journey today, I am excited and motivated to see the growth of our work at the forefront of our industry.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I’m part of a big transport group. We grow professionally and personally, together with our company. I’m seeing myself and my team growing with our company, taking on new and important challenges. As our industry is transforming into a more sustainable, emissions-free operation, adapting these practices into our existing and new operations is part of my future plans.

What key pieces of advice would you give to someone who is interested in a career in transport?

Patience is a very important aspect of our work, as working with government agencies requires a lot of paperwork and follow up meetings to move projects forward. A keen eye for detail is also necessary, as concession contracts need to be followed to the letter and the company is liable for any errors in the form of fines. Another important piece of advice is to be a team player, as teamwork is a vital aspect of our work as you deal with people, namely drivers, who are the lifeblood of our operation, and passengers, who generate our income.

It is a very demanding job, as our service runs 24/7, involving thousands of human beings. At the same time, this is exactly what motivates us.

In the future, what do you hope to see become more commonplace in the transport industry workforce?

I would like to see the following things become more commonplace:

• Technological innovations that improve the quality and metrics of every aspect of the industry
• More concern for the main resource of our business; namely, drivers
• Governments should embrace this profession and ensure that there is a continuation and incentives for people to join this industry.

In an ideal world, what do you hope the future of public transport will look like?

In an ideal world, public transport should become the normal way of movement for people within cities, allowing for maximum development of beautiful and people-friendly cityscapes. This will generate a better quality of life, easier city planning and reduce the carbon footprint within the city. Having car-free cities is the way forward to enjoy the cityscape without the hassle of traffic and smog, making it healthy to live within a heavy populated area.

But we have a long journey to get there, and this is one of the best things about working in this industry.