Tbilisi, Georgia 
Transportation in Tbilisi is similar to that of other major cities in the former Soviet Union. The metro system is the core of the public transportation system while buses, trolley buses and minibuses (marshrutki) branch off from metro stops in order to service the rest of the city. Taxis are also widely available. Buses, trains and airlines service travel outside of the city. Public transportation in Tbilisi is quite effective considering the economic situation as well as being quite cheap. The system is integral to the city since the majority of inhabitants do not have their own cars, therefore a lot of consideration and effort is put into maintain the system despite its chaotic appearance.
The metro system consists of two lines and was opened in 1965. The system is now being expanded and a third line is being constructed to improve access to other sections of the city (see map below). It is a fairly spartan system with old trains and dirty stations. A unique aspect found only in Tbilisi is the strong sulfur smell in the metro that comes from the sulphur springs from which the city gets its name.
Source: DZMaps 1997 - Dmitrii Zinovev
Tbilisi also has a fairly large network of buses, trolleybueses and marshrutki throughout the city. Trolley buses cover the main roads with the largest amount of passengers. The fact that they run on electricity and not diesel fuel makes them cheaper to maintain. Buses cover other routes that run on larger streets. Marshrutki are minibueses that run along routes that are difficult for the larger buses to travel. They don't have specific stops, instead people hail them down like taxis and get off where they need to. They also copy the routes that buses make and charge a slightly higher fare for the benefit of faster travel and stopping exactly where one needs to stop. Fares for all of them are quite cheap, even for Georgian standards and can be payed on board.
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Marshrutki are an integral part of the Tbilisi public transit system. |
