PROJECT

Subject: English

Think of transport in your city

Objectives

How can someone get around? What kinds of transport are available? Are they expensive or cheap? Are they comfortable?

Ueda Rrukaj XI-11

The public transportation has not enjoyed a good reputation throughout the last 20 years and Tirana still does not have an accurate map of its public transportation or other useful data related to it.  Currently there are ten city

urban lines, ten rural lines to close villages or municipalities, four free comercial lines and one express line to Mother Teresa Airport in Rinas.

Public transportTirana has a few bus lines, marked on the map in this guide. A ticket costs 30 lek per ride regardless of distance, to be paid to the conductor on board. Buses run every 6-15 minutes between 05:00 and 22:00. The days of dilapidated old state buses conking out in the middle of the road are over - Tirana has a fleet of privately-run buses, dipped liberally in advertising. There is wide range of public buses within the cities and when the bus is marked as “Unaze,” it means that it would travel in a loop within the city.

BusGetting out of Tirana can be extremely confusing, as much for locals as anybody else. You have the option of buses or furgons , which leave from several hubs on the outskirts of the city that are prone to move from time to time. Travelling times are totally dependent on what degree of ‘crazy’ the traffic out of town is currently operating at.At the time of writing, furgons going north leave from the chaotic Zogu i Zi roundabout – Kruja to the right (150 lekë, 45 minutes, 32km) and Shkodra to the left (300 lekë, two hours, 116km). Keep asking until someone points you in the right direction.You can catch a furgon to Fier (400 lekë, 2½ hours, 122km), Vlora (400 lekë, three hours, 161km) and Gjirokastra (1000 lekë, five hours, 244km) from Rruga e Kavajës, and there are also buses to Fier (300 lekë).Furgons towards Macedonia (Elbasan and Pogradec) leave from a stand by Qemal Stafa Stadium. Macedonia-bound buses going through Struga (€10, six hours, 197km, six per week) and on to Tetovo, leave from the patch of mud in front of the train station. Furgons and buses for Durrës (bus 100 lekë, furgon 150 lekë, 45 minutes, 38km) also leave from here.Buses for Prishtina (€30, 10 hours, 343km, three daily) leave from behind the museum near Sheshi Skënderbej.

If all else fails, get in a taxi and say ‘furgon per [destination], ju falem nderit’. It may not be great Albanian, but your taxi driver should understand and they should know the latest departure points.

TrainsAlbania’s railway network is basic and slow, and has no services to neighbouring countries. Unless you’re a train fan, taking a bus faster and more comfortable, though the run to Durres is perfectly bearable.The run-down train station is at the northern end of Bulevardi Zogu I. Albania’s trains range from sort-of OK to very decrepit. Train stations are located at the northern end of the city and trains travel to important places like Durres, Vlora, Elbasn, Pogradec and Shkodra. Getting around by train to these places costs different based on the distance traveled. Trains go to Durrës (55 lekë, one hour, eight daily), Elbasan (160 lekë, four hours, three daily), Pogradec (245 lekë, seven hours, twice daily), Shkodra (120 lekë, 3½ hours, twice daily) and Vlora (210 lekë, 5½ hours, twice daily).

Traveling by Car and Taxi

Taxis are a useful form of transport in Tirana, and after 22:00, they’re the only game in town. Several companies use meters and can print receipts; our experience so far is that drivers do not have to be reminded to use them. Rates start at 300 lek for the first 2km (sufficient for most city centre trips) and 95 lek/km after that (count on paying 500-700 lek for a ride to the outskirts). Between 22:00 and 07:00 the flagfall is 350 lek. Few drivers speak English, so it's a good idea to write down the address, or to call someone who can explain.When the taxi is booked from the hotel, it can charge 100 lek over the normal charge of the taxi. There is also a facility for mini-vans that run across the city. There are about 15 places within the city where these mini-vans are located and thereby providing easy access.

Bicycle

Bicycles are rented from four stations at Rinia Park and along Deshmoret e Kombit Boulevard. The system is part of the Ecovolis bicycle sharing program launched in 2011.[30] A full day ride is 100 leks in cost. Cycling in the streets has been regarded as quite dangerous as bike lanes are lacking. However, in recent years, combined bus and bike lanes have been built on Tirana's main streets. Bike only lanes are located on existing sidewalks along Skanderbeg Square, Lana River, and on Kavaja Street.

On footThe city center is small enough to be explored by walking. Walking is a rewarding experience, but beware that there is *no* continuity in sidewalk width, construction material or condition. Sidewalks frequently end abruptly, have large holes or are very narrow. It also can be confusing if you are not familiar with the city. Street names are subject to change, so locals rarely know them. It is advised to learn a to navigate via landmarks instead of adresses or street names.You can also orient yourself using the Lana River, which roughly bisects the city into a North and South Half.