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Marshrutka (Bulgarian, ; short for (Bulgarian: маршрутно такси, Russian: "маршрутное такси" (routed taxicab)), (Bulgarian, Russian: plural, маршрутки, marshrutki) is a Bulgarian and CIS minibus taxi.
History
Early days (pre-1992)
"Route taxicabs" existed at the time of the USSR, although they were not very common and drove highly irregular schedules. These were planned for smaller or seasonal bus routes (i.e., to help transportation in night hours), but the response was varied. The routes were operated at municipal level, thus the quality and concept varied greatly between regions. At that time, most commonly used vehicles were the RAF minibus and PAZ bus.Marshrutka boom (1992–2000)
The introduction of market economies greatly changed the transportation demands of the urban population in the CIS. The demand for faster and more versatile public transit rose dramatically, while the underfunded municipal transportation system made people 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 fifteen 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 had only to pass annual safety check-ups, which were relatively easy, since local authorities trusted GAZ cars.
During this period, most marshrutkas followed already well-established public transit routes.
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. The prices went down.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). Also new businesses were created—Bogdan, and Etalon, usually based upon existing plants. 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.
In St. Petersburg, Russia, Ford Transit vans are commonly used as route taxis. Route taxis congregate at train stations, metro stations, and transfer points at the end of tram and trolly bus routes. The route is identified as "Rxxx" with "xxx" being the number of the bus, tram and trolly bus routes being followed. 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 (and by-pass hailing riders) until it has empty seats. The fare is commonly twice the fare of a regular bus. The cash is kept in a dashboard compartment with a flip up cover, usually kept open for the driver to make change. The appeal for the route taxi passenger is a fast ride in less crowded conditions than regular tranport. The taxi routes that follow cross-city routes are most often the fastest way to travel across the city.
Names in other countries
Public transport | Bus transport | Russian loanwords | Transport in Belarus | Transport in Russia | Transport in Ukraine
"Marshrutka"