***My article was originally published in Sarepa: The travel Colombia blog about living abroad and calling Colombia home
When I arrived to Bogota, the Colombians that cared about my welfare led me to believe that the only way to get around was either by car or by taxi. These same Colombians said they had never taken the Bogota Transmilenio system because they said it was both impractical as well as iffy in terms of security and that it still needed some serious improvements compared to European public transport system.
Sometimes I must say that it is better to arrive at a place without receiving previous input, as this allows you to move around more freely and discover without prejudice.
As a result of being discouraged from taking public transportation, I actually spent my first two months in Bogotá riding taxis, which is fine, as they are relatively cheap, but if you’re here for the long term, it starts to quickly add up.
I also tried to walk, but the distances were too large, the sidewalks poorly maintained, and with no distractions and cool sights to see between point A and point B (I live quite far from the main attractions of the city). I biked a few times and still do where there are adequate ciclorutas and ciclovías but inhaling bus smog all day isn’t exactly my cup of tea. This made me give in to my next option: The beloved Bogota Transmilenio.
I started slow and began Googling how to get from point A to point B. I downloaded all the Transmilenio bus route apps and did my research only to be more confused and figured I would probably have an easier time just getting on a ‘Transmi’ and winging it.
After much hype and precaution, it turned out to be a breeze compared to what I had been expecting. Although it doesn’t extend to all parts of the city, it’s straight forward and relatively cost-effective. I take it on a regular basis and I can even say it sometimes beats taking the car as you avoid the hassle of traffic, parking and crazy drivers…well, mostly.
Of course, the Bogota Transmilenio is a much-debated topic amongst locals and everyone has their opinion of how to take it (or not) and what to do and not to do. Here’s my take on:
How to Take Bogotá’s Transmilenio System
(and not stick out like a sore thumb having to ask everyone for directions):
- Check Google Maps to find where you want to go and locate the closest Transmilenio station near your final destination. Or download the TransmiSITP App and click on the Map to calculate how to get from point A to point B. It will tell you what lines to take and where to switch if you have to.
- Dress plain and keep your belongings in a closed bag in front of you. You will notice most people carry cross-body closed bags and backpacks in the front to avoid trouble. Be wise and do the same!
- Walk to the closest Transmilenio station and purchase a travel card for only $2,000 plus recharge for the number of trips you want ($1,500-$1,800/1-way)
- Walk inside that station and locate a big map if you care to double check your route. The bus numbers are located above the doors at which the buses stop at. Go stand by your bus stop and hop on.
- Some Transmilenios will display the next stops inside the front of the wagon on an electric sign. If not, simply look out the window as each stop will be indicated on the sliding glass doors.
**NOTE: To avoid huge conglomerations of people and long lines, try taking the Bogota Transmilenio outside rush hour, between the hours of 9am-5pm you should be alright. If not, I wish you much luck!
There you go! Hopefully, this helps you go about as locals do. Who knows, you might even pass as a Colombian!
Have you ever caught the Transmilenio in Bogotá before? What tips do you have for people navigating the system for the first time?
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[…] to avoid traffic and take the Transmilenio to work? Good luck with that! It’s so full and cramped, you arrive to work tired and stressed. Best take […]
Another helpful place to check to get around the Transmil, for those who have smartphones and those who don’t, the http://www.surumbo.com map: http://www.surumbo.com/paginas_php3/loadinfo.php3?InaNuIdMn=311&IngNuEleE=2&nav=1
Bogota’s famous TransMilineo is the largest Bus Rapid Transit system in the world. Opened in 2000 the system has 144 stations and serves an average of 2.2 million passengers, who cram into approximately 1000 busses, each day.
I am one of them.
Passengers reach the stations, which are located in the middle of the city’s large avenues, via a bridge over the street. Four lanes down the center of the street are dedicated to bus traffic only. There are both express and local buses, the latter stopping at every station to pick up passengers. The outer lanes allow express buses to bypass buses stopped at a station, and to playfully race the slower busses that are trying to make up for lost time between the local stops.
The bus drivers receive their training at the Isle of Man TT Training Center on the Snafell Mountain Course, and they demonstrate their skills – especially at braking and accelerating — every day on the streets of Bogota.
Users pay at the station entrance using a smart card (a nominal fee of about 55 cents US), pass through a turnstile, and wait for buses inside the station, which is about 16 feet wide. The bus and station doors open simultaneously, and passengers board by simply (?) walking across the threshold.
At rush hour, any given station contains at least 1500 people. At each stop, when the automated doors open at the platform, no less than 30 people struggle to insert themselves into the bus. At the same time, no less than 25 people are trying to exit the bus, which is only about 6 feet wide. Those who wish to exit are forcefully impeded by those who were not able to board that bus, for no particular reason other than the fact that they are not happy about having to wait for the next bus.
On the bus one is treated to street performers playing music, school kids, vendors selling questionable packets of home-made food, the disabled and homeless, soda and agua vendors, grandpas, business executives, robbers, tourists, moms with babies and security guards, on their way to somewhere.
While official literature states that the capacity of an entire TransMilineo bus is 160 souls, my bus holds no less than 730 people, at any given time, in just one of the articulated sections.
Bogota’s cool weather is rapidly remedied by boarding a TransMilineo bus. Windows and skylights can be opened to provide ventilation, but rarely relieve the body heat of hundreds of heavily clothed Bogotanos. Those who ride the bus frequently, and have survived numerous communicable diseases, are given notarized Certificados of Bueno Salud by the Mayor’s office.
Special classes are offered at various Cuidadanos Avoiding Desperación (CAD) locations around the city to teach the bus-riding public the proper etiquette and body alignment needed to maximize the experience of riding the TransMilineo.
Participants are first shown how to achieve a stance that ensures the traveler doesn’t fall during a sudden stop. Exercises that strengthen the thighs and biceps are especially important to those who must hang on for dear life between stops. (An optional course offers pole-dancing techniques, which supplement basic strength training exercises). Courses in Motivational Pushing and Shoving are the most popular, with lessons on How to Manage and Safeguard your Possessions while Clutching Handrails and Stanchions, are Segundo in popularity. Hygiene courses, such as How to Keep your Hands Clean (or use gloves), Coughing into a Sleeve, Scarf or Someone Else’s Hair (or use a mask), and How to Sneeze Vertically (instead of horizontally) are optional.
At Universidad Naciónal, Universidad de los Andes, and Universidad Militar Nueva Grenada, advanced courses in reading bus route maps are offered to Masters Degree and Ph.D. students, or those holding degrees in advanced linguistics, physics or math.
For more information, or to obtain a TransMilineo pre-paid credit card, go to the cashier at any Transmilineo station, call (+57) 310 243-7098, or email TransMilineo at ¿howf-*/#?ingmanypeoplecanyoupossiblycramontoabus?.com
The police officers in the stations are quite helpful in telling you which buses to get – I relied on them when I first moved to Bogota.