Minsk has a rather developed transportation system, which is not surprising for the capital of the country. The city's public transport is represented by buses, trolleybuses, electric buses, trams, minibuses and metro.
One of the key advantages of Minsk's transportation system is its punctuality. You won't have to read tea leaves whether the transportation will arrive today or not. Whether it is buses, trams or trolleybuses, they usually arrive exactly on schedule or with a minimum delay of a couple of minutes. Almost every bus stop has an electronic board that displays up-to-date information with the route number of the transport and the time it will be at that stop.
Transportation runs very frequently during the rush hour: metro - every 2 minutes, buses, trolleybuses and trams - every 5 minutes.
The trolleybus system of Minsk as of June 2024 is the largest trolleybus system in the world. There are 65 routes operating in the city. They run every 10 minutes from 5 am to midnight.
Not so long ago electric buses appeared in Minsk, at the moment they are replacing trolleybuses. There are already 12 operating routes. They are environmentally friendly and run on batteries.
There are not so many trams in Minsk, only 8 routes, so the waiting time is a little longer than for a trolleybus or a bus. The tram depot is already quite old, but the authorities plan to buy 20 new trams this year.
Minibuses run more often than buses or trolleybuses. They travel faster, but they also cost more. They have a four-digit numbering, starting with "1001". The fare is 2.5-3 BYN (≈ 70-85 RUB). They are mostly taken when you are late for the main mode of transportation or when you are in a hurry. There are also routes that go across the city, or beyond the Minsk Ring Road, where buses/trolleybuses do not run.
Most of the city's transportation is by bus and metro. Currently, the city has a developed bus network with 205 routes. This is the main type of ground public transportation in the city.
Minsk metro has 2 main lines - blue and red, and line 3 - green - opened in 2020. Line 3 is still under construction, with 4 active stations available at the moment. GSM/3G cellular communication of operators "A1", "MTS", "life:)" works at all stations of Minsk metro. The metro stations are open from 05.30 in the morning to 00.40 at night.
It is quite easy to understand the Minsk subway, but just in case we attach the scheme of stations location, keep it to avoid confusion.
The fare in Minsk transport
In Minsk there are several ways to pay for public transportation:
- Cash can be paid directly from the driver.
- A single ticket, bought in advance, can be punched in the electronic composter in the transport.
- A contactless smart card is used by applying it to the validator.
- In ground transportation, payment is possible via the "Oplati" application on a smartphone. A external passport is required to register non-residents.
- In the metro you can pay using contactless bank cards or devices with NFC, you can also buy a token at a specialized ticket office or top up your account with a contactless smart card.
If you're using a single ticket, slip the ticket into the electronic composter and it will print information about the route, bus number, and the time and date of travel.
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To use contactless smart cards, it is necessary to apply them to special validators located in the transport.
Single tickets for one trip can be purchased at various points of sale, for example, "Belsoyuzpechat" kiosks, "Belposhta" branches, as well as directly at any metro station in the windows with cash desks, which are located in front of the entrance to the platforms, not far from the turnstiles. This is convenient for residents and guests of the city, as it allows you to buy tickets in different places.
If you enter the transport, and someone coming out of it tries to give you his ticket - don't be frightened, it's how Minsk citizens give you the opportunity to travel for free. Some people do it even easier - leave their ticket on the window or seat, in case someone really needs it.
Speaking of ground transportation, an interesting point is that when you buy a ticket directly from the driver in transport, the fare increases by 5 cents (≈ 1.5 RUB / 0.11 CNY). This is done to encourage passengers to buy tickets in advance, which helps to speed up the boarding process and reduce stop times.
When you enter public transportation, don't forget to put your card to the validator. Even unlimited cards need to be activated every time you travel.
The fare in public transport in Minsk:
- Bus, trolleybus, tram, electric bus - 0.85 BYN / 24 RUB / 1.9 CNY
- Bus, trolleybus, tram, electric bus (purchase from the driver) - 0.9 BYN / 25 RUB / 2 CNY
- Metro(token) - 0.9 BYN / 25 RUB / 2 CNY
- Minibus - 2.5-3 BYN / 70-85 RUB / 6-7 CNY
Contactless smart card
Contactless smart card can be purchased at the same points of sale as single tickets. The deposit value of the card varies from 1 BYN to 3 BYN (≈ 30-85 RUB / 2.2-7 CNY). It is indicated on the back of the card. There are smart cards for all types of transportation, as well as separate ones for metro or trolleybuses/bus/trams. To save your budget, it is recommended that you decide what kind of transportation you use most often and top up your card based on that.
There are daily fares without trip limit (for 1,2,3,10,15,30 days) and there are fares with trip limit (10,20,30,40,50,60,100 trips).
More information can be found on the metropolitan website.
Contactless fare payment in ground transportation
Residents and guests of the city can pay for public transportation using their smartphone and the "Oplati" application.
To use the app, you just need to follow a few simple steps:
- Install the "Oplati" application from Google Play or App Store on your smartphone.
- Go through the registration process in the application.
- Link a Visa, MasterCard or BELKART bank card to your account.
Fare payment can be made in advance at the stop bus or directly in the transport. The application has a function of automatic recognition of your location and selection of the necessary route, but if necessary you can do it manually.
After payment, the app will generate an electronic ticket, which you will need to present to the controller at the checkout.
The "Oplati" app supports three languages: Belarusian, Russian and English, which makes it available to a wide range of users. The application also provides the function of saving the history of your trips.
Contactless payment in the metro
A single trip in Minsk metro can be paid with a contactless bank card or a mobile device equipped with NFC technology. The card can be issued by any bank and belong to any payment system.
To pay for the trip, you need to put the card or smartphone to the validator at the turnstile. In case of successful payment, an authorization signal will light up. In addition to bank cards and smartphones, validators in the metro read contactless smart cards "Minsktrans".
Fare-evasion
Moving around the city is organized in such a way as to provide maximum comfort and convenience. Since 2014, there are no conductors in public transport in Minsk, but controllers can carry out ticket checks at any time, not only at stops, but also on the way. If the check takes place while traveling, the transport is stopped and the validators and composters are temporarily blocked to ensure that the check is carried out.
Fines for fare evasion range from 18.5 to 37 BYN (520-1050 RUB / 42-85 CNY).
The fine can be paid using the "ERIP" system at bank service points, Belposhta branches, as well as through remote banking tools.
Online Minsk transportation
The "Yandex.Maps" application provides an opportunity to track the movement of public transportation in Minsk in real time.
You can easily choose the route you are interested in and find out how many transport vehicles are on the line, as well as check the time of arrival to a particular stop. To use this function, you need to activate a special layer on the map. You can use it by installing an app from Google Play or App Store on your smartphone. In addition, there are many other services on the Internet that offer similar opportunities.
To summarize: transportation runs exactly on schedule, you can track it using the application "Yandex.Maps" or at the stop on the electronic board, buying a ticket at the special kiosks or paying with a card in the metro / using the application "Oplati" in ground transportation . Don't forget to punch the single tickets and apply contactless smart cards to the validators. Have a good trip!
