Minibuses in Turkey

Minibuses which are known as Dolmus ( Dolmush) in Turkey are the most common way of city transportation together with the public buses.

Dolmushes  are the  small shuttle minibuses   running on a pre desginated route in return for a small amount of fare. The seat capacityof dolmushes are  mostly limited with 12 to 13 however especially in big cities and popular routes, dolmushes usually  overloaded with the passengers who stands besides the sitting passengers.

Dolmus  literally means “Filled” in Turkish deserves to have its name with the  passengers who  are overloaded into dolmus like a canned sardine  fishes.

Dolmus is an easy, fast and cheap transportation vehicle to take you the nearest place you want. Dolmuses are generally painted  in orange, yellow, green and blue colours to make a distinction than other similar vehicles.

Dolmus stations are situated just next to public bus stations and are indicated with a White big “D” letter in a  blue sign board. The best thing about dolmuses are being able to get in them from anywhere you want as well as the dolmus stations.  They are like shared taxis so the only thing you need to do just wait by the road and raise your hand when it is driving through you.

The routes of the Minibuses (dolmush) are indicated  on a board hanged to the window of the vehicle.  Itis important to be sure about the route before getting in the minibus in orderto prevent going a different place therefore route boards have to be checked or asked the driver about the route before getting in.

The minibus fares are up to their routes and distances they drive.  The tariff of the minibuses are mostly written in a visible area just above the driver’s  seat. Minibus fares can be given either just before you get out or after you get in.

The most interesting  thing about minibuses are the way how the fare delivered and given to the driver. If you are close to driver you can directly hand to Money to him and while he is driving he will take the Money and give the change back to you and if you are sitting far from the driver you need to give Money to passenger sitting  in front of you and he/she will hand it to next passenger and then to driver. The Money you give is delivered from hand to hand untill it reaches the driver. Yourc hange comes back in the same way as you give.

To get out from the minibus ( dolmus ) you can say in a hearable sound;  “Kaptan Musait bir yerde lütfen !” ( Captain,in a suitable place please ! ) or “Kaptan Inecek Var!” ( Captain, there is someone to get out of minibus ). But if you are in a touristy place you can just say in English (Stop Please! or say a significant place nearby.