Public Transportation

We took public transportation where ever we went in Kiev. It was very convenient. There are a few interesting observations.

• Gentlemen usually get up from there seats for the women or senior that get on the bus or subway.
• Bus fares usually is 1.5 rph (hryvnia) or 2.5. Subway is 2 rph.
• No conductors on the buses. Passengers get on the buses, drop the money in a open money trays next to the drivers, and pick up the changes. No tickets. A complete honor system.
• Trolley buses have conductors, who will issue tickets.
• Sometimes passengers from the back of the buses would pass the bus fares to people in front, in relay fashion. The changes will in turn be passed back hand by hand all the way back to the buyer.
• The subway tunnels are really deep into the ground. It takes about a minute for escalator to take you down to platform.
• People stay on the right side of the escalator, so that those in rush run by on the left.

All the buses are yellow, like the one on the right.

Bus stop. Sergei is wait for bus. We started our day 1 trip to downtown from here.

A trolley arrived. We didn't take this one.

Inside the bus.

Taking a street view shot form inside the bus. The nice profile of the young girl is bonus.

Entrance to a subway station

Escalator down to the platform, deep down. Notice how people stay on the right.

Nice ceiling at the entrance. And it is pretty hard not to notice the pretty girls too.

We are now seeing the platform.

Now the subway station. Wish my hand was steadier.

Train arrived.

Entrance to another subway station. This is right behind the Golden Gate.

This is one of the fancier stations. We will get yelled at if we openly take pictures around. So all these are sneaky shots.

One of the security guards was on the other side of the wall.

The platform is decorative too.

I am sticking my head around, serving as decoy. There aren't many Chinese faces around, so at least I could distract security.

Ah, caught with a smoking gun. She didn't say anything after all, just a dirty look.

An even fancier station, again, with a shaky hand. I needed to be quick. Taking this right in the middle of the hall can get attention.

An even fancier station, a better shot.

Yet another station. Lenin. Many of his faces / statues are removed in Kiev. This is one of the few remains.

Another shot of the same station.

Enough of the stations. This is taken in the train, with my buddy Sergei.

Escalators in Kiev move FAST.