Public Transportation
Public transportation in Belgrade consists of bus, trolleybus and tram transportation. Belgrade doesn’t have a subway yet, so this is the fastest and cheapest way of mass transportation. The city is well covered by bus and trolley service, so you can get to almost any destination using public transportation.
Many lines start in the city, the biggest hub of public transportation, especially the following stations: ZELENI VENAC. TRG REPUBLIKE, TRG DIMITRIJA TUCOVICA and STUDENTSKI TRG.
Public transportation is divided in day and night transportation:
- Day lines run between 4:00 AM and midnight
- Night lines run between midnight and 4.00 AM and run hourly.
BUS PLUS
Fares differ, depending on whether you buy them on the vehicle or at a kiosk, and depend on the time of day. Night fares are bought on the vehicle.
- Single ticket day transportation, on the vehicle – 150 RSD
- Single ticket day transportation, at a kiosk – 90 RSD
- Single ticket night transportation – 150 RSD
You can buy tickets at kiosks all over Belgrade. If you don’t live in Belgrade, buy a PAPER UNPERSONALIZED CARD, which costs 40 RSD
This card works on a “prepaid” system and you pay, charging up the card, immediately after buying it. When the card is depleted, you can charge it up again, for up to 720 RSD, or a maximum of 8 rides.
If you are in Belgrade often, you can buy PLASTIC UNPERSONALIZED CARD which costs 250 RSD. You can charge this card in any amount and however often you wish.
Any driver can also sell you a single ticket. The driver will print and charge the ticket at your request.
Verification procedure of the fare is very simple:
- Enter the vehicle at the marked entry
- Swipe the card on the electronic terminal next to the door
- If you have done it right you will get a sound confirmation and see a green light on the terminal, confirming the amount of credit remaining on the card. If there is a problem, you will see a red light and hear a reject tone.
TICKET CONTROL
Control officers equipped with ticket control devices patrol transit vehicles.
If you haven’t swiped your ticket, you will have to buy an EXTRA TICKET for 2000 RSD. If you don’t have the money with you, the officer will ask you for identification, and you will be fined and ejected from the vehicle. You can pay the fine within 15 days, or a judicial proceeding will be started against you.
If you can’t pay the fine, it is likely to be forgiven. The number of people accruing these kinds of fines is huge, and the number of payments small, so the possibility of going to court is minimal.
City Traffic and Bus Plus, because of this situation, often offer people bargains and lesser fines as it’s the only way to get people to pay them.
Even though it’s not ideal, public transport offers decent, priceworthy service. New trolleybuses and trams are very comfortable and new buses are coming into service. Regrettably, some older buses that shouldn’t ever even pass safety inspection are still in service.
Since the introduction of the “yellow lane”, public transport in rush hours is far faster than using your own car. Since people that go to work by public transportation don’t have a problem with parking, they can get to work faster and more inexpensively than their colleagues who come by car.