Public Transportation in Ukraine

Ukraine's ground transportation system is very well-developed. Buses small and large whisk passengers along all major city streets in all possible directions. Street trams and trolleybuses — the cheapest forms of transportation — plug slowly along their routes. None of these modes of transportation are particularly foreigner-friendly, but with a bit of study and exposure almost anyone can learn to use them.Be advised that at busy times of day all these forms of transportation can be jam-packed, eliciting images of India or Sub-Saharan Africa, where people even cling to the outside of buses. If you're not prepared for an intimate acquaintance with other passengers, better take a taxiduring these times of day.These minibuses come in different shapes and sizes. More and more common these days are the larger buses (usually yellow) shown in the photo at top, but the smaller minivan type at right are also very common. The larger, taller buses are far more comfortable for standing, which is what many passengers end up doing. Standing half-bent over someone else's seat can be a painful experience. So, if you are tall, look for minibuses with a high ceiling if it looks like you will have to stand.Trolleybuses and street trams ("tramvayi") stop only at designated stops. Street trams run along narrow train tracks, while trolleybuses are hooked up to electric lines above the road, so their movements are limited. The connecting rods on trolleybuses sometimes get dislodged, making the driver run out and realign them. This happens a lot.Each city has a slightly different system, but you can usually buy a ticket at ticket booths at major stops; if not, you'll need to buy one from the ticket dispatcher ("conductor") in a special green or blue vest or — if there is none — from the driver himself. In some cities the ticket does not need to be punched, while in others (Kiev, for example), you will need to have it punched on a special punching device on the wall. When the carriage is crowded, people pass tickets to the hole-puncher by saying, "прокомпостируйте, пожалуйста" (Russ. - "punch this please"), or "закомпостуйте, будьласка" (Ukr.).Trams often have two carriages and only one conductor (who goes back and forth between the carriages), so if you don't have a ticket, get in the carriage where the conductor is in order to avoid controllers. Not to be paranoid or anything, but dealing with controllers can be a very unpleasant experience for inexperienced expats.

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