How I took the bus…

I used to travel by bus quite a lot in Germany. If you don’t have a travel pass, it’s a constant problem: the validator doesn’t work, the ticket machine is broken, it won’t issue a ticket, the driver won’t take cash, let alone a card, there’s no paper for tickets in the machine, or it’s completely unclear which ticket to get.

And after moving to Russia, I had to take buses in Moscow and the Moscow Region. It turned out that Russia is actually moving forward. Of course, there are concession-operated routes in the regions where minibuses only take cash, but public transport in the city is different. Moscow is, of course, ahead of the game in everything. But still. So what’s so interesting about the bus?

No ticket machines at bus stops. They’re only available for rail travel: on the lovely “Lastochkas,” the magnificent, ultra-modern “Ivolgas” on the MCD and MCC, and the “space-age” metro. Everywhere there’s a way to charge your phone or tablet.

So, after traveling three stops on the MCD, I got off at a bus stop. Some places have electronic information boards, others don’t. But you can always use Yandex Maps to see where the nearest buses are and which ones they are. After waiting for the bus I needed (you can find out online or in the app how to get there and where to change), I asked how to pay for the ride. The answer was: very simply, with a Troika card, a bank card, a Muscovite social card, a pension certificate, or a phone with bank-card payment enabled. Just tap them on a validator, which is located by every door. No cash needed. Within the city, the fare is the same for any distance.

On suburban buses, you need a Strelka instead of a Troika. You need to tap in when boarding and tap out when getting off, since the fare depends on the distance.

But! The most pleasant impression was made not by the buses after all (although the new blue electric buses are something else!), but by the Ivolga trains on the MCD and MCC! These are spacious, modern, Russian-made trains!  They are “created” in Tver!

And there are helpers too: ordinary people who are always ready to help!

More articles on Anatoly Bublik’s personal blog Anatoly Bublik

#project #expat_notes