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Zolotoi Rog
The ruble crisis is causing hard times for the normally busy Vladivostok Bus Station in the Second River suburb, leaving inter-city buses half-empty even on weekends and holidays. "Today, passenger traffic is just 10-12 percent [of full capacity] and this situation has gone on since August last year," says Tamara Pivneva, director of the station. As inflation drives up living costs, many people must cancel visits to friends and relatives, she said. The ticket price hasn't changed since the ruble crisis. To ride from Vladivostok to Nakhodka costs 36 rubles ($2.40), while the Vladivostok to Ussurisk trip is 20-27 rubles, depending on the type of bus. The longest route is the 500-kilometer run to the village of Olga, which costs 122 rubles. While the prices might sound cheap by foreign standards, they can be prohibitive for those who aren't paid wages or are seeing the value of their money drop with the economic crisis. Students, pensioners, World War II veterans, and some others enjoy a 50 percent discount on fares. But that isn't much help, because their income is still so low. In mid-1980s, a ticket to Nakhodka was 3.7 rubles and grew to tenfold since, while average salary is just 5-6 times up from those times. Some private passenger carriers are shutting down their inter-city business due to the lack of clients. On top of decreasing demand, the carriers must buy licenses and pay a 20 percent usage fee to the bus station.
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