Where do Russians go by bus?
On February 24, the Federal Air Transport Agency closed 11 airports in southern Russia – Anapa, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov-on-Don, Simferopol and Elista. The agency has extended this ban 15 times and is now valid until May 31. These cities can be reached by rail or road. In the southern region, the airports of Sochi, Mineralnye Vody and Stavropol were opened.
Since the restriction of air travel, the travel and travel service Tutu.ru noted that the demand for bus transport has increased. “We record the highest demand for tickets from the southern directions to Krasnodar, Simferopol, Rostov-on-Don, Anapa, Novorossiysk, Sevastopol, Sochi, Yalta, Gelendzhik, Astrakhan. The top three go by a wide margin, Tutu.ru’s deputy general manager Sergei Nikolaev told Gazeta.ru.
According to Sergei Nikolaev, the Moscow-Simferopol flight is now one of the most popular destinations. By the end of May, almost all tickets are sold out, there are still tickets for June, but buying them the day before departure will be problematic.
Such a trip for May-June will cost about 2.5 thousand rubles, and the train will cost four times more. You can buy a bus ticket from the capital to Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog for 1.7 thousand rubles, go to Krasnodar for 2.6 thousand rubles.
Sergey Nikolaev, “Due to the temporary suspension of airport operations, especially to the south of Russia, Moscow, St. We foresee an increase in bus transport from St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities,” he said.
As Ilya Umansky, vice-president of the Union of Tour Operators of Russia, explained to socialbites.ca, bus tours can most often be called the hub of bus tours in the region from Sochi to Gelendzhik and Tuapse and the nearest villages. The second most popular region is Crimea. “This is not the south coast of Crimea, but the east coast where Feodosia is located. Less often – the west coast, because it takes a long time to get there along the way,” he said.
At the same time, Umansky explained that the Russian Association of Tour Operators has not yet seen a sharp increase in the demand for bus transport, nor does it see the prerequisites for it due to the cessation of air traffic. It’s all about the difference in the level of consumers.
Who goes to the sea by bus?
The bus is the cheapest way to travel, so it is often chosen by those who want to save on transport. As Sergei Nikolaev noted, even on the day of travel, a ticket can be purchased at a normal price, since there is not yet dynamic pricing in this industry.
“Tourists buy bus tours because of their over-budget and they are not ready to fall into the category of tourists who buy train or plane tickets for themselves, because the cost of bus tours is extremely low,” said Ilya Umansky. “Conversely, tourists flying by plane will not be transferred to buses.”
According to him, most often traveling by bus is chosen by residents of the southern cities and central regions of Russia, less often Muscovites. “This is a stable audience that lacks flexibility,” said the vice-president of the Russian Association of Tour Operators. “This tourism product is more or less consumed due to the availability of alternative modes of transport.”
At the same time, those who prefer the bus route go to holiday resorts with suitable accommodation levels. As a rule, such tourists do not stay in 4-5 * hotels, they prefer to stay in more affordable places.
Which buses go to the south of Russia?
“People are poor and it is more profitable to take the bus, but it is a very problematic and dangerous transport. Dangerous transport 400-500 km, especially on short shoulders, ”Alexander Kotov, head of the Interregional Professional Drivers Union, told socialbites.ca.
According to him, drivers often drive without shifting and rest on the very floor of the bus. Transport itself is in a deplorable state. “The new bus for us is the bus that gives everything to the homeland – there, abroad -” said Kotov. If the bus breaks down in the middle of the route, calling a backup is problematic. People have to stand in the heat or cold according to the season. On average, as Kotov notes, it takes 10 hours to wait for a new bus.
Tour operators talked to socialbites.ca about the situation of insufficient passenger transport. “The condition of buses is dire,” said Krasnodar tour operator Altair. – All vehicles are over 10 years old or even 15-30 years old. Drivers who are all privately owned and self-employed like to work illegally.”
How to recognize a “gray” carrier
“The main and main sign of an unofficial flight, which a passenger can easily follow, is that it does not take off from the bus station,” said Sergey Nikolaev, deputy general director of Tutu.ru. “The rest of the criteria are too complex for the average tourist.”
Alexander Kotov, head of the “Interregional Professional Drivers Union”, also suggested paying attention to what was written on the bus. For example, if there is a “Customized” sign, it is most likely an illegal carrier, but yellow numbers indicate that the driver has obtained a license to transport passengers.
Many continue to choose “gray” carriers because they are cheaper. For example, if a legal bus flight from Krasnodar to Anapa costs a little more than 600 rubles, then judging by the ads on VKontakte, the “gray” driver promises to get you for 500 rubles. During their studies, illegal immigrants have already learned how to print tickets and papers, which are the so-called licenses, but it will be difficult for an unprepared person to understand their authenticity.
Mikhail Blinkin, director of the Institute of Transport Economics and Transport Policy at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, is confident that “gray” transport will disappear only with the growth of consumer culture. “Of course, irregular transportation is a disgrace, as it is popularly referred to as “clip money”. This does not happen in civilized countries, but it was popular with our passengers. And who will catch them in the south? Of course they will continue to carry it,” he said.
Rostransnadzor controls the “gray” transport in Russia: “Rostransnadzor systematically controls it, if violations are detected, measures prescribed by law are implemented.”
There are no official statistics on the number of illegal cruise ships in Russia. Krasnodar tour operator Altair assumes their share in the region is about 70%.
“Do you know what it’s like to get a driver’s license? We have a company-owned bus and we have a six-month license for it, plus we went through seven hells to register the bus. In order for the bus to take off from a place, it has to be inspected by the traffic police and in many other cases. Well, imagine what kind of private trader needs it? – said in the company.
Is it possible to increase the number of legal bus transports in the South?
According to Sergey Shpilko, President of the Russian Tourism Industry Association, there will be buses if there is a demand. However, the demand for excursion services for foreign tourists has decreased,” he said. “An important issue will be the quality of this fleet, but the payload can be increased.”
Today, carriers have several comfortable buses with air conditioning, bathrooms, comfortable lounges and multimedia, so the demand, according to Sergey Nikolaev, cannot be fully met.
“There are only enough buses for the current regular flights, the carriers do not have the opportunity to open new routes. It is not enough to have a bus, a new route needs to be opened and this process takes between 3 and 6 months.