Bosnian Wanderings (Part 2): Sarajevo Buses
In this second instalment of my Bosnian adventure, I review and sample bus operations in the capital.
As with the Trams & Trolleybuses, no official Bus Map is available. This privately produced diagram showing all public transport in the city is difficult to follow but provides a general overview of the network. Trams are in dark blue, Trolleybuses in light blue, Buses in red and Minibuses in green.
Buses & Minibuses - An overview
Buses in Sarajevo are operated by GRAS, the local authority owned organisation which also runs the Trams & Trolleybuses, together with Centrotrans, a private company which also operates longer distance bus and coach services in Bosnia. Some routes are jointly operated, although Centrotrans are the predominant bus provider in the city.
In addition to standard bus routes, there is a considerable minibus network, generally working to settlements in the surrounding mountains along narrow roads where conventional vehicles cannot operate.
As with the Trams & Trolleybuses, official information is rarely displayed at stops, not even route numbers, let alone timetables and maps.
Fares are the same as the other modes, with a basic 1.80 BAM (c80p) single fare applying on most routes, although electronic cards are available for locals to tap in on boarding.
GRAS tend to operate elderly Mercedes Benz O345 Citybus types dating from the late 1990s, this being the predecessor to the well known Citaro which came in the 2000s.
Centrotrans have a newer fleet, the majority type being the MAN Lions City in CNG and diesel versions with both standard and bendi lengths. There are a smaller number of Mercedes Benz Citaro bendibuses. They also operate the minibus fleet of mainly Isuzu Novocity types.
GRAS, which operates the Trams & Trolleybuses, are a minority bus operator in Sarajevo. They use a fleet of Mercedes-Benz O345 types, like no 298 seen on the 27 at Ilidza Bus Station, with route card in the windscreen. I rode sister vehicle 372 on the route, which was the next departure.
This type was the predecessor to the famous Citaro and date from the late 1990s - rugged performers now long in the tooth but still giving good service!
Not a bus I travelled on but this Mercedes O345 on Route 33 at Ilidza Bus Station demonstrates the nearside view of the class. Boarding is through the front door and alighting through the rear two sets.
This example displays very faint route details on the front destination screen but, as with all buses of this type, a route card in the windscreen is provided.
Route 27: Ilidza to Hrasnica (& back)
Arriving by tram at Ilidza, to the west of the city, not far from the airport, I observed the large adjoining Bus Station. As with the trams and trolleys, a series of basic shelters in rows, but no route numbers, timetables or maps anywhere. Locals clearly know where their bus picks up, but for the visitor, it is a matter of waiting until your bus departs the stand and seeing which pick-up stop it then proceeds to!
A mix of yellow GRAS and blue / white Centrotrans vehicles were parked up, the contrast between them being quite apparent - whilst the Centrotrans examples were modern MAN Lions City vehicles, the GRAS ones were very elderly Mercedes O345 Citybuses, built in the late 90s and the type that came before the now familiar Citaro.
I was after Route 27, which links the tram terminus with Hrasnica, a nearby town that is in process of being linked to the tram system by an extension, so I was interested to see what progress was being made on this. A slightly battered Mercedes fleet no 372 was next to depart, so I boarded with the throng. Leaving the Bus Station, we passed the shopping area before crossing the tram tracks and departing along a dual carriageway, where tracklaying was going on in the central reserved section for the tram extension. This is clearly a “pre-tram” bus, as the stops were adjacent to where the new tram stops were under construction.
After leaving the built-up area, a fast run along a short countrified section to the terminus at Hrasnica, a mere 12 min run in total. Whilst tracklaying had not reached this end of the route, digging for the foundations of the tram route were clearly in evidence, with the intended terminus opposite the bus stand.
It seemed that the route was shared between GRAS and Centrotrans, as a MAN Lions City bendibus was ahead of us and left first, whilst I awaited the return trip of my Mercedes. Observations indicated a joint 10 min frequency, alternately GRAS and Centrotrans. Incidentally, Covid measures were still apparent on the bus, with a faded sign on the back of the driver’s cab saying “Protective Mask is Mandatory”, clearly left over from the pandemic. I also noted that some buses and trams still had green ticks and red crosses on seats, remaining from the period when there were restrictions on numbers carried.
The return trip on the 27 was another short 12 min ride, although well used throughout.
Outer terminus of Route 27 is at Hrasnica. Mercedes O345 no 372 stands behind a Centrotrans MAN Lions City CNG bendibus awaiting departure time, showing the contrast between modern and older buses.
The tram route is being extended here from Ilidza, with work on this being apparent in the foreground. Track-laying was progressing from the other end of the extension towards this point.
Route 18 : Drvenija to Pofalici (& back)
Back in the city centre, my next bus ride was on another GRAS Mercedes, no 371, on Route 18. A quieter route than some, but still with reasonable usage. The first section of the ride was conventional enough, departing along the south bank of the river, then turning off to serve a back street housing estate, before returning to the main road. Swinging a right, we continued across the tram tracks to the west of the city centre and, passing over a roundabout, reached the interesting part of the route as we began climbing along a winding road. Very narrow in parts, with hairpin bends, in some places doing a 180 degree turn. One bend was so sharp, our driver had to reverse and take a second go at negotiating it. All this with cars and vans coming the other way and having to back up for us. Great fun!
After 25 mins, we reached the upper terminus at Pofalici, an area of modern housing. On the stand was a Centrotrans MAN Lions City on the same route, which departed 5 mins later. Meanwhile, our driver disappeared on his break - for an hour! It seemed that an hourly service was in operation, using 2 buses, one from each company, with one vehicle departing from the upper terminus after the next had arrived to avoid meeting on the narrow circuitous section. However, this seems a very inefficient use of vehicles, which would not be tolerated in the UK. With 25 mins running time each way, surely one bus could maintain this?
Nevertheless, an hour after I arrived, the other bus returned and we departed on the downward trip. More fun as we squealed around the hairpin bends descending into the city. The final section through the city streets seemed mundane in comparison.
Another Mercedes O345, fleet no 371, at the Pofalici terminus after a climb up from the city along narrow hairpin roads. The bus is on Route 18 as per the route card in the windscreen, despite details for Route 22 being shown very faintly in the blind box.
Two buses were operating the hourly service, one GRAS Mercedes plus a Centrotrans MAN Lions City vehicle. Stand time at the top is just over an hour, so that the buses do not meet on the narrow roads below!
Minibus 56: Latin Bridge to Jarcedoli (& back)
In addition to the normal buses in Sarajevo, there are a number of minibus routes, which generally serve the more mountainous areas surrounding the city where the roads are too narrow for conventional vehicles.
The standard type appears to be the Isuzu Novocity, which has a low floor section and wheelchair space at the rear. I took only one ride on the class, boarding Route 56 at the Latin Bridge terminus, one of three minibus services departing from this point. Only half a dozen on board for the outward trip, which soon began to climb away from the city centre. Soon, we were onto narrow mountain roads, dropping off at various small settlements. The final stretch was quite countrified and we terminated after a mere 12 min run amidst the trees.
After a short layover, I rejoined the minibus for its return trip. Only three of us at first, but we soon began picking up large numbers at subsequent stops on the way down. The advertised capacity is 21 seats + 4 tip-ups, all of which were soon taken plus a large number of standees. No idea how they all got on, it seemed a bit like a tardis! Due to the busier trip in this direction, we took 15 mins on the return. An interesting ride.
My only minibus ride was aboard this Isuzu Novocity diesel on Route 56 from the Latin Bridge. Seen after a hairy ride along winding narrow roads up the mountain at Jarcedoli.
There is a considerable minibus network to supplement the standard buses using this type, covering outlying mountainous areas where larger vehicles cannot operate.
Route 16B: Dom Armije to Kosevsko Brdo (& back)
Back on the conventional routes, I found another Mercedes O345 at Dom Armije on Route 16B, a rare example in Sarajevo of a suffixed number. This differs from the plain 16 by having a different outer terminus but covering much of the same roads. There didn’t appear to be a 16A! My bus this time was fleet no 293, an example with an orange based advertising wrap.
Compared with previous rides, this was a slightly more mundane “town service” type of operation. We proceeded north out of the city via the tram and trolleybus route before turning left and climbing briefly to a housing area above the city. A long terminal loop at the end, taking stand time part way round after just 15 mins from the start.
After the break, we continued on around the loop, picking up in ones and twos, eventually regaining our outward route at a row of shops. Back into the centre we passed the other bus on the route, a Centrotrans Lions City, with a joint 30 min frequency apparently maintained. We then encountered congestion on the one-way section on the north bank of the river due to resurfacing, with “two lanes into one” causing a tailback. Then we swung away to the terminus outside the Eastern Orthodox Cathedral where we had started, 25 mins in this direction.
My final Mercedes O345 ride was on Route 16B, a variant of the 16 which has a different outer terminus from the parent. No 293 is taking stand time at Kosevsko Brdo. This is a more conventional town service.
This was the only bus of this type I saw with an advertising wrap.
Route 17
Ahead on the stand was a Centrobus MAN Lions City gas bus on Route 17, so I transferred to sample this more modern class, a contrast with the older bus I had just ridden. Next stop screens and announcements inside. Also quite rare was the fact that the electronic destination displays on the bus were working - most vehicles seeming to get by with a route card in the front windscreen.
Back out of the centre to the north, but this time turning right rather than left, dropping our clientele off at various stops including a large medical facility. We terminated after another short run of just 15 mins at Breka, where there was a turning circle in front of some blocks of flats. Reboarding after the break, I returned the same way, apart from the one-way loop in the city centre, where the traffic problems of earlier seemed to have eased a bit, taking 20 mins on the return run.
It appeared that 2 Centrotrans MAN Lions City buses were maintaining a 30 min frequency on the route.
Centrotrans MAN Lions City CNG bus L1400 on the 17 at Dom Armije in the city centre. Note the gas pod on the roof. The electronic destination screen is working, which is quite rare, most buses using windscreen cards.
Partially hidden by the trees in the background is the Eastern Orthodox Cathedral.
Route 41: Drvenija to Gornji Velesici (& back)
Next on the list was Route 41, a one bus operation between the centre and the area north of the railway station. It seemed that the habitual vehicle was Centrotrans MAN Lions City Euro 6 diesel L1136, which I boarded at Drevenija on the south bank of the river. Despite a working front destination screen, this just showed the operator’s name, with a route card in the windscreen, although no route number displayed. However, a nice touch was the inclusion of the timetable on a couple of windows in the bus, which seemed to be the staff version, as it included details of the driver’s breaks! Nevertheless, useful, indicating a 60 min frequency M-S daytimes and 2 Hourly evenings and Sundays.
Quite full as we departed the centre via some back roads not served by other routes, soon arriving adjacent to the railway station. From here, we continued via a roundabout, then starting a short climb along a few winding roads to the terminus at Gornji Velesici, where a reverse manoeuvre was required onto the stand. Some good views of the city and surrounding mountains from this vantage point. After a 10 min break, we returned the way we had come. 20 mins each way.
Another MAN Lions City, this time a Euro 6 diesel version, no L1136, at the upper terminus of Route 41, Goraji Velesici.
Oddly, despite a working destination screen, only “Centrotrans” is shown, with a route card in the windscreen (minus route number!). Note the Bosnian flag in the windscreen, a touch probably added by the driver.
Route 31E: Vijecnica to Dobrinja
My final bus ride of the trip was on my last morning in Sarajevo and constituted my ride back to the airport. Centrotrans operate Route 31E from the city to Dobrinja, where I had boarded my first trolleybus at the start of the trip. Not sure why there is an “E” suffix to the route number, if it refers to “express”, this is certainly not the case, as all stops are served. Oddly, there is a premium fare of 2.30 BAM (£1) as opposed to the normal 1.80 BAM (80p)! Frequency appeared to be every 15-20 mins.
This is a bendibus route, with a few MAN Lions City types, but predominately operated with Mercedes Benz Citaros. I boarded one of the latter, fleet no 351, at the central terminus around the back of the City Hall. Just me at first, but we picked more up at the Catholic Cathedral and subsequent stops, soon becoming quite busy. The 31E parallels the tram tracks westwards along the main boulevard out of the centre, following them until a few stops short of the end of the line, where we turned left. Serving a short freehold section through a housing area, we soon joined up with the 103 trolleybus route into the outskirts of Dobrinja.
However, on the final stretch to the Bus Station, we parted company with the trolleybus to serve a different intermediate route via parallel roads to the terminus. Arrival was after a 50 min journey, back at where I had started my rides a few days before.
It was then a short walk back to the airport for my flight home after an interesting and varied trip, covering scenery, history, culture and, of course, the local transport!
Watton
Centrotrans operate a small number of Mercedes Benz Ciatro bendis, their principal route being the 31E between the City Centre and Dobrinja. Fleet no 351 is seen on the cramped stand behind the City Hall.
This was my final bus ride in Sarajevo, taking me back to my start point not far from the airport.
POSTSCRIPT…. LONDON BUSES IN SARAJEVO!
Since completing this article, I realised that some former London buses were exported to the then Yugoslavia after WW2 and operated in Sarajevo.
I believe that initially, some STD types operated in the late 40s / early 50s, but then a batch of RTLs was exported there in 1964, I think around 40 vehicles.
If anyone has any further information or photos of these buses in service in Sarajevo, please feel free to get in touch via the “Comments” section. Thanks.
