5 ms·
As an expat living as Tallinn resident for a couple of years, here are my two cents 1. Having public transport has a remarkable effect on the quality of life -
by start123 7y ago
As an expat living as Tallinn resident for a couple of years, here are my two cents
1. Having public transport has a remarkable effect on the quality of life - At any time of the day, I can hop on go to any part of the city without worrying about costs involved. I have started to go out more than sitting at home simply because it's hassle-free.
2. Connectivity and frequency are quite poor if you don't reside in the city centre. It gets even worse (even in the city centre) at night. Majority of residents tend to live in the outskirts and they continue to use private vehicles in spite of free public transport.
3. Short journeys that were covered by foot are now covered by public transport defeating the purpose. Most of the times, I use a bus for half a km even though I can walk that distance quite easily.
4. The population is very low so one can easily find empty seats on most routes.
- PrimeDirective 7y agoyou are 100% correct. #3 is especially funny in the city center, where most lines pass anyway
- mb_72 7y agoRe: 2 - I can't agree. Yes, the trams and trains stop running soon after midnight and start up ~5am or so, however that is pretty good time coverage. Many people in Tallinn don't own cars, and use the free public transport a lot, plus the coverage up to the city limits is also quite good: https://www.visittallinn.ee/static/files/063/2018_tallinn_transportation_map_eng.pdf https://www.visittallinn.ee/static/files/063/2018_tallinn_tr... One 'problem' here is that Taxify / Bolt is so cheap. I'll not even think about dropping 5EUR on a fare if it means slightly less hassle / time getting somewhere.
- start123 7y agoI cannot imagine going out at night if there was no Bolt/Uber. I pretty much have to walk home or some distance to get a bus. The weather doesn't help either - standing at a bus stop in winter when the next bus is in 20 mins or so is not a pleasant experience.
- NeedMoreTea 7y agoMy 20s weekends consisted of getting the bus into town, getting drunk or going to a movie or club, then getting the night bus home. Some of the most entertaining times were actually on that journey home - as just about everyone was having a good laugh, singing badly, or talking to everyone else. Standing at the bus stop is no worse than queuing at the taxi rank or waiting for the Uber to show up once the bar or club has closed.
- watwat1 7y agoTaxi rank? What is this, 1992?
- TomMarius 7y agoSorry but I won't spend 30 minutes waiting outside in snow, then getting on a bus for 10 minutes, then waiting some 10 more minutes, then getting on a bus for 15 minutes and then 25 minutes of walking through snow, when I can just be there within 15 minutes by car. It's not far, it's just uphill (the bus is too long to fit on these narrow uphill roads). I can't wait for autonomous cars. I just hope that someone in charge will realise that not everyone lives near a frequented bus stop before they limit all transportation to public transport (as they plan in many places). I noticed that many people talking about the great benefit of public transport live in the wider city centre - but most people live outside that!
- thatfrenchguy 7y ago> I can't wait for autonomous cars. So that the US can build more ugly boring car suburbs ? Autonomous cars have the potential to make american cities much worse transit-wise.
- TomMarius 7y agoSorry but IMHO your perception of beauty has no priority over allowing people to live a fulfilling live...
- Operyl 7y agoWith regards to #3, I find that a positive for people who are unable to easily get around due to disabilities.