Marshrutka
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Marshrutka (Bulgarian; Russian: маршру́тка; Ukrainian: маршрутка, IPA: [mɘr'ʂrutkɘ]), from marshrutnoye taksi (маршрутное такси) is a share taxi in the CIS countries, the Baltic states, and Bulgaria. Marshrutnoye taksi literally means routed taxicab. The role of the modern marshrutka is basically similar to the minibus in other countries except some implementations of marshrutka do allow standing capacity.
| language | nominative singular | nominative plural |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgarian | маршрутно такси (маршрутка) | маршрутни таксита (маршрутки) |
| Russian | маршрутное такси (маршрутка) | маршрутные такси (маршрутки) |
| Ukrainian | маршрутне таксі | маршрутнi таксі |
| Latvian | maršruta taksometrs (mikriņš, maršrutnieks) | maršruta taksometri (mikriņi, maršrutnieki) |
| Lithuanian | maršrutinis taksi (mikroautobusas, mikriukas) | maršrutiniai taksi (mikroautobusai, mikriukai) |
| Estonian | marsruuttakso (väikebuss) | marsruuttaksod (väikebussid) |
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[edit] Etymology
The Russian word "маршрутка" is the colloquial form for "маршрутное такси", which literally means "routed taxi(cab)" ("маршрут" referring to a planned route that something follows, and "такси" meaning "taxi(cab)"). The word "маршрут" is from the French word "marcheroute", which is composed of the word "marche" (a walk) and "route" (route).
[edit] History
[edit] Early days (pre-1992)
"Route taxicabs" were introduced in Moscow for the first time in the USSR in 1930s, operated by ZiS-101 and ZiS-110 limouzines. Unlike ordinary taxicab using the taximeter, routed taxicab rides were paid per zones, like trams, buses and trolley buses; the fare was lesser than in ordinary taxis, but higher than in large-scale public transports. Unlike ordinary taxis where a passenger could enjoy a private ride, the routed taxicab would also pick up and drop passengers along its route.
Moscow was not the only city operating routed taxis, other large Soviet cities also organized these. For example, in Gorky, there was a routed taxi line between Sormovo and the Kremlin. The full fare was 3½ rubles; a similar service cost 1 rouble with a bus, or 50 kopecks with a tram.
During the Great Patriotic War, as cars were requisited by the Army, routed taxi services were ceased. It was only in 1950s that these were reintroduced in most cities where they were used before the war. The GAZ-12 cars were widely used in this role until mid-1960s.
There were interurban services of routed taxicabs, too. For example, Moscow-Yalta route was operated in summer season taking 2 days, with a night stop in Belgorod.
In 1960s, minibuses (RAF-977) and small buses (PAZ-652) became common as routed taxis. The routes were operated at municipal level, thus the quality and concept varied greatly between regions. The fare gap between buses and routed taxicabs lessened. For example, in Moscow the standard bus fare was 5 kopecks, and minibus fare was 15 kopecks with most routes; in Gorky a regular bus ride cost 6 kopecks, and routed taxi ride was 10 kopecks.
[edit] Marshrutka boom (1992–2000)
The introduction of market economies greatly changed the supply of transportation in the urban population in the CIS. The demand for faster and more versatile public transit came to be fulfilled dramatically, while the demand for the underfunded municipal transportation system dropped; people are willing to pay premium for better service. Although existing buses (like Ikarus, LAZ, PAZ, RAF, and KAvZ, as well as irregular imported used minibuses), obtained on a secondary market, had been used by entrepreneurs as a back-up on the busiest routes since the early 1990s, it wasn't until the auto manufacturer GAZ rolled out the first mass produced Russian minibus, GAZelle, that the modern system took shape.
GAZelle was an instant hit. The cheap, easy-to-repair, and lease-friendly passenger minibus with a capacity of twelve seated passengers was exactly what entrepreneurs needed. An initial investment of around US$8,000 could be paid off in less than a year given some luck, so a lot of individual entrepreneurs entered the market, as well as some larger companies. At this point in time, licensing for public transportation in particular was not required. The vehicle only had to pass annual safety check-ups, which were relatively easy, since local authorities trusted GAZ cars. Moreover, the GAZelle could be easily equipped to run on natural gas.
During this period, most marshrutkas followed already well-established public transit routes.
[edit] Modern days (2000–present)
Witnessing the success of privately owned public transportation led to some reaction from the society. Local authorities responded by toughening safety and licensing requirements—like mandatory free transportation of a certain number of disabled passengers upon request and "package deals" in route licensing—tying the privilege to drive on a lucrative route to the chore of driving several not-so-profitable ones. The market became dominated either by large companies or by unions of owner-operators of individual minibuses. Some of municipal public transportation companies entered the business, and prices dropped due to increased competition.
Another consequence was a massive response from car and bus manufacturers. Old manufacturers introduced smaller, more maneuverable models (like PAZ or KAZ) and started licensed assembly of minibuses (KrAZ started assembling Iveco minibuses). Diesel-engined models in the form of the new Isuzu Bogdan, Tata Etalon and others have seen immense popularity. The capacity also grew from fifteen sitting passengers to jam-packed small buses of fifty, and the busiest routes in major cities now use full-size privately owned buses operating at the same price with municipal companies. The original GAZelle saw a few official modifications to its body, length and passenger capacity to better serve buyer demands, including models featuring diesel engines.
[edit] Russia and Ukraine
In Russia, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, GAZelle and Ford Transit vans are usually used as route taxis. The GAZelle and PAZ-3205 are widely used as a marshrutkas in other Russian cities. Route taxis congregate at train stations, metro stations, and transfer points at the end of tram and trolly bus routes. In St. Petersburg the route is identified as "Kxxx" with "xxx" being the number of the bus, tram and trolley bus routes being followed and "K" standing for the Russian word for "commercial" (коммерческий, kommercheskii). There are routes travelled solely by route taxis — cross-city routes connecting termini of the metro. Usually, the route taxi will not depart of the end point of a route until all seats are occupied. The taxi will skip stops if they are not requested and (if operated with a GAZelle or similar) by-pass hailing riders until it has empty seats. The fare is commonly one and a half or twice the fare of a regular bus.
The appeal for the route taxi passenger is officially considered to be a faster ride in less crowded conditions than regular transport; the taxi routes that follow cross-city routes are most often the fastest way to travel across the city. However, collapse of municipal transport services in many cities makes it absolutely impractical to commute without the help of marshrutkas at all.
In Kiev, Ukraine, the Bogdan van is the most common route taxi which can be found running around the city, while the Etalon van serves on the lower ridership route. In Kiev, the marshrutka is more popular and the fare is a bit more expensive than the regular public bus. Hail and Ride is possible regardless of the designated bus stop, but generally this is up to driver's final decision. As of now[when?], marshrutkas in Kiev do not require ticket-perforating, although a passenger can ask for a ticket when paying the fare, but there is no staff working to randomly check the tickets as on a regular bus (although the traditional hole punch still remains on existing vehicles). Outside of Kiev it is not unusual to find marshrutki that are secondhand Western European minibuses or converted vans. Often they still have all the original paintwork advertising the former owner's business.
Etalons and Bogdans usually have a conductor on board selling the tickets. In the GAZelle or converted van, the fare is paid directly to the driver, either upon pickup or departure of the passenger, with a note or sticker posted to indicate the driver's preference.
[edit] Eastern Europe
[edit] Armenia
In Yerevan, Armenia, marshrutkas cost the same as larger buses (100 AMD in mid-2007), with the fare being paid when the passenger exits. There are no tickets issued. Marshrutkas can be hailed anywhere along their route, though they do have specific stops, and riders can exit at any point if the driver is willing to pull over. While the law requires that marshrutkas stop only at designated stops while on major streets, compliance with this law depends on the individual driver and the degree of police enforcement at any given time.
[edit] Romania
In Romania, where they are called "maxi-taxi" or "caşcarabeta"[citation needed], marshrutkas supplied the need of affordable public transportation at a time when some local administrations dismantled the community-owned systems of buses and/or trolley cars. In Bucharest, a few lines went inside the main city in the last years of communism[citation needed] and in the 1990s[citation needed]. The boom came in 2003 when the city-owned RATB lost the right to maintain suburban commuter buses which linked main city with the villages around it, and the marshrutkas replaced the buses. In Galaţi, even since the 1990s, most of the local public transportations is offered by privately-owned marshrutka companies, which may be stopped by passengers or pedestrians anywhere on the route where the driver deems safe. On the Black Sea shore, it is very common to travel from Constanţa or Mangalia to the resorts on a marshrutka, especially in those resorts where the competing train service is far from the beach and/or lodging facilities.
[edit] Bulgaria
Bulgarian marshrutkas are customized passenger vans. They have been modified to include large windows in the back, rails and handles. In some cases, seating has been modified — popular routes carrying more passengers typically have more standing space.
Sofia's marshrutka system is considerably developed and has existed since the late 1980s, offering many routes crossing through the city centre, communicating with outer suburbs and nearby villages. The Sofia fleet includes such models as the Peugeot Boxer, Citroen Jumper, Ford Transit, Iveco Daily and Renault Master. Other cities have adopted a similar system and models available vary from city to city.
Similar to public transport, they operate along numbered routes around the city and have a fixed fare (1.50 leva in Sofia, equivalent to €0.75 as of 2008); the fare is paid upon getting in. Marshrutkas are not obliged to stop anywhere on the route, although there are popular spots where they do slow down. Marshrutka drivers are asked to stop and pick one up in a taxi-like manner; the getting-off is arranged with the driver, often by just standing up and approaching the door. Sometimes the driver will ask for consent to veer off the charted path to avoid a traffic jam or roadworks.
Marshrutkas are commonly white, although their colour can vary, and they are often partially covered in advertising. They are locally notorious for bad driving habits[citation needed]. There are about 50 marshrutka lines in Sofia alone;[1] the lines being operated by separate private companies. About 10 lines operate in Plovdiv.[2]
[edit] Poland
In Poland, marshrutkas are under the name "mini-bus", and are used mainly for commuting between larger cities and adjacent villages.
[edit] The Baltic states
[edit] Latvia
In Latvia, marshrutkas have been in service in a variety of cities since the end of the 1990s – mostly in Riga, but also in Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Rēzekne and elsewhere. They are mainly used as public transportation within city limits, but sometimes their routes extend outside the city limits (e.g. from Riga to Jūrmala). Marshrutkas were and are still widely used, with travelers themselves explaining that the marshrutkas are a much faster way of public transportation than buses or trolleybuses[citation needed] (sometimes also trams, but that is disputed[who?]).
The main operators in Riga are KORT, Blands and Rīgas Taksometru Parks (RTP). KORT is the biggest marshrutka operator in Riga. It (and also the other two) own white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter buses, yellow Renault Masters (mostly to RTP, small number of them also red), and white GAZelle buses. KORT is sometimes criticized by locals for being the first of the three marshrutka operators to raise the ticket price for a ride, such as when city-owned Rīgas Satiksme raised its ticket prices for other modes of public transport on 1 April 2008.
Blands is the second operator of marshrutkas in Riga, and was the last to raise its ticket price in 2008. It uses the same buses as KORT.
RTP's routes were usually going out the city from their main station in Riga's city center, next to Origo supermarket (e.g Riga to Ulbroka, Riga to Jūrmala, Riga to Kadaga (near to Ādaži). From January 1, 2009, RTP has closed most of their routes due to finacial reasons.[3]
The prices of the tickets (March 12 2009): KORT - 0.50 Ls Blands - 0.40 Ls RTP - 0.45 Ls (Rīga-Imanta), 0.50 Ls (Rīga-Bolderāja).
[edit] Lithuania
In Lithuania, marshrutkas have been in service in a variety of cities since the end of the 1980s – mostly in Vilnius and Kaunas, but also used in Klaipėda, Šiauliai and elswere. They are mainly used as public transportation within city limits, but sometimes their routes extend outside the city limits. Marshrutkas were and are still widely used, with travelers themselves explaining that the marshrutkas are a much faster way of public transportation than buses or trolleybuses.
[edit] Estonia
In Estonia, marshrutkas are widely used in cities of Tallinn and Tartu. In case of Tallinn they are mostly used on routes connecting city to small town's around like Saku, Saue and Kose where most people have cars and demand for public transport is lower but many departure times are very useful. Late evening departures may have higher fares because local trains and other means of transportation will not run anymore. In late evening marshrutkas are also good choice for suburbs were bus services end around midnight and some marshrutkas are going hour or two later through. Marshrutkas are widely used in Tartu on all routes and have much better point because city population is only quarter of Tallinn.
[edit] Central Asia
In Central Asia (at least in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan), standing room is allowed on marshrutkas. Indeed, drivers will often encourage passengers to board the marshrutka and cram together until there is physically not enough space for another passenger to board; in such a case, once a passenger exits the marshrutka, the driver will stop for others and allow them on until it is full again. Marshrutkas may be boarded at bus stops, but will usually stop other places if hailed, and often won't stop at bus stops unless a passenger requests an exit or a prospective passenger hails the marshrutka. Passengers may request to exit at any point, but may have to wait until the driver deems that it is convenient to stop.
The typical Central Asian marshrutka is usually a white minibus branded "Mersedes", though may come in any number of colours, sometimes used to distinguish a specific route. The models most commonly used have a vent in the roof that may be opened by passengers if the atmosphere inside the marshrutka becomes too stuffy. Though not the norm, other vehicles are used as well; for example, all 149 marshrutkas in Bishkek are Shaolin Citybuses. In Osh, an older, shorter model of vehicle which doesn't lend itself well to standing room is also used for some routes.
The normal price per fare in Bishkek is 8 som, and there are no transfers. Some routes may charge as much as 15 som per fare, such as marshrutkas heading to Dordoy Bazaar, which is on the outskirts of the city. In Almaty, on 3 January 2008, bus fare was increased from 40 tenge to 60 tenge. Prices range throughout Central Asia, dependent on whether it is a city or village, the local cost of living, distance covered by route, and government policy.
[edit] See also
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