Do I like Transantiago system?

I think Transatiago system is better than the previous one, because it is quicker (at least for me), cheaper, less contaminating, more silent and safer than the yellow buses. The yellow buses were very fast, but very damaging to the environment and dangerous for the people.

Of course it has bad things, especially at the beginning, but I think the system is getting better. Only in the critical hours (in the early morning or in the afternoon, when all the people are trying to go home or to work) the things get very unpleasant. The lines to get in to the bus are very long, some times you have to travel with to many people, and you can’t sit for houres. All that makes the travel very annoying, of course, but that is not just a problem of Transantiago system, it existed before that.

When it first started, I was coming back from a long trip from Perú and Bolivia. I didn’t have the “bip” card, so I had to ask to the driver for a free ride. I didn’t understand anything. I was very desoriented but I didn’t get lost, because some “yellow guys” helped me out.

I like this system, but I think that the buses should have more sits, because many people are very tired and need to rest…

Something essential to improve the system is to make more “punto-bip” centers, because it is very annoying and not very effective that we have to walk long distances, and make long lines only to put some money in the card, and then (only then!) go to our destiny.