Brasilia City and its Layout
Being the capital city of the South American nation of Brazil, Brasilia witnesses a large influx of lobbyists and sightseers everyday. The construction of the city was carried out in an extremely rational manner with two traffic-ways dividing the city and forming its characteristic bow and arrow image. The Eixo Monumental runs in an east-west direction and has all government buildings and monuments located along the way. It divides the city into two different wings, namely the Asa Sul (south wing) and the Asa Norte (north wing).
The Eixo Rodoviario, on the other hand, runs with a slight curve in the north-south direction. The central bus station, or Rodoviaria serves as the point of intersection for these two roads. What further enhances the division of the city is the zoning of various areas: while most of the hotels can be found around the Rodoviaria, all the government buildings are located along the Eixo Monumental, primarily along its eastern end.
Public Tansportation in Brasilia
The public transport system in the city is not as good as many would possibly expect it to be. However, it is still better compared to some of the other cities in Brazil simply because the rules and laws governing the traffic situation in the city are stringent. Let us take a look at the options available for public transport in Brasilia that tourists can make the most of for travelling around the city.
Brasilia Metro
The Brasilia Metro, shaped in the form of a Y, is services by two lines. They do not run through most of the political or tourism destinations so it is not convenient to take the metro service for a sightseeing tour of Brasilia. Not as comprehensive as the subway services in some of the other cities, the Brasilia Metro service originates from the Rodoviaria bus station and travels south. It was constructed mainly to serve the massive population residing in the satellite towns in the region. The satellite towns are more populated than the Pilot Plan of Brasilia and people are heavily reliant on the metro service which is clean, safe, fast and also free from all forms of constraints put in place by road traffic.
Taxis in Brasilia
With a reasonably comfortable, safe and comprehensive bus system in place in the city, you really do not need a taxi for your travels. Taxis in the city, in general, are more expensive than in any of the other Brazilian cities. The city blocks are larger than usual and the distances are longer than what one may usually think. Very often, you may be required to make use of detours and loops in order to reach a particular building in a block. Taxi drivers in the city are known to take advantage of these traffic regulations as travelling by a slightly different route can increase your fare meter significantly. Note that the traffic plan is such that you cannot get back to the right route easily. If you must travel by taxi, it is best to call a radio taxi as they offer discounts of around thirty to forty percentage for every travel. As most of the taxis in the city have a radio, it won’t take much time for one to reach you. Also they are safer than others as the radio facility makes it easier for you to summon help. You may want to ask your hotel to book a cab for you as trying to catch one on the street will be to no avail.
Bus services in Brasilia
The bus service is the best choice among all forms of public transport in Brasilia. You can get an excellent access to the city center as well as its neighbourhoods by making the most of this bus system. Note that unless you flag a bus, it will only halt at a bus stop if there is a passenger waiting to alight. Rodoviaria located at the center of the city is the main bus terminus and this is the originating point for most buses irrespective of their routes. Even if they do not originate from here, most buses pass through this place so you need not look anywhere else to find a bus to your desired destination. The red-and-white minibuses, known as Zebrinha, are the preferred choice. If you are looking to move around the city, they are immensely useful as they form a link between the central districts of Brasilia and some important regions in the city such as airport, Esplanada dos Ministerios and other important avenues.
Getting around in Brasilia
While most of the other Brazilian cities can be effectively explored on foot, Brasilia is not too friendly for pedestrians. Nevertheless, you can navigate easily around the central districts on foot. However, you may find the lack of shade and preposterous heat from the midday sun to be overwhelming which is when you should consider turning your attention to buses, taxis and other forms of public transport in Brasilia.