Getting Around Damascus

The main way to get around Damascus is the servees, a white minibus, alongside municipal and private company buses and yellow taxis. By February 2026 figures, 3400 minibuses, 60 municipal buses and 160 private company buses work the city lines. This page covers only what is specific to Damascus: the routes a visitor is likely to use, how the fare has changed since late 2025, and where electric buses stand. How to board and get off a servees, and how the fare is passed forward, is on the page about city transport in Syria.

Which routes will a visitor use?

In November 2025 the Al-Watan newspaper named the two most important city routes as Mezzeh Jabal–Karajat and Muhajireen–Sinaa. The first runs from Mezzeh Jabal in the west to the intercity garages; the second links Muhajireen, on the lower slopes of Mount Qasioun, with the Sinaa industrial area. The same report mentions the Barzeh and Sheikh Muhyiddin routes. The big waiting point in the centre is the stop at Thawra Bridge.

Baramkeh is the interchange where many routes end. The governorate fare list gives Jisr al-Wazzan–Jisr al-Hurriyeh, Duwaylaa–Baramkeh and Sumariyeh–Baramkeh as examples of short routes, and Mashrou Dummar–Jisr al-Hurriyeh and Qadam Asali–Karajat as long ones. The route is written in Arabic on the windscreen; showing the names of the two districts in Arabic on your phone is the quickest way. Which minibus goes to the intercity garages is on the page about Damascus bus stations.

How much is the fare?

No single current figure can be given, because the fare changed four times in one year. The dated sequence runs like this:

• 23 November 2025: the governorate cut medium-length minibus routes from 3000 to 2500 old pounds and large buses from 3000 to 2000 old pounds. The next morning most minibuses did not run.
• June 2026: the General Establishment for Passenger Transport added 5 new pounds to minibus and bus fares; the city bus went from 3500 to 4000 old pounds, or 40 new pounds.
• August 2026: some routes cost 35, 45 and 65 new pounds. Because 5-pound notes are scarce, drivers cannot give change and round the fare up; the establishment has proposed moving these routes to round figures.
• 13 September 2026: diesel rose from 125 to 175 new pounds. The establishment worked out an average rise of 20 to 25 new pounds for minibus and bus fares and is waiting for governorate approval; some routes set their own fares without waiting.

In practice, asking the passenger next to you before you board and carrying small notes causes the least argument. The notes currently in use are described on the page about money and cash in Syria.

Why does the minibus turn back halfway?

When the fare is cut or diesel gets dearer, drivers shorten the route. After the November 2025 fare cut, Mezzeh Jabal–Karajat minibuses did not go to the end of the line but ran from the garages as far as Baramkeh and turned back. The same happened on the Muhajireen–Sinaa, Barzeh and Sheikh Muhyiddin routes. Drivers said they had to buy diesel or take the vehicle for repairs.

Saying the name of your district as you board, and asking whether the driver goes that far, saves a surprise at the end. If the minibus turns back, you need a second one for the rest of the way and pay again.

Have the electric buses arrived?

Not yet; they are at tender stage. In March 2026 the governorate announced public auctions for three routes: 50 buses for Sumariyeh–Karajat, 70 for Muhajireen–Sinaa and 30 for Bab Touma–Jisr al-Hurriyeh. The contract runs for 10 years. Once electric buses start, minibuses and diesel buses will be taken off these routes; about 270 minibuses work Muhajireen–Sinaa alone today. As of September 2026 no report was found of these buses carrying passengers.

How are taxis changing?

In April 2026 the General Establishment for Passenger Transport said it plans to fit more than 30000 taxis in the capital with smart meters and identification stickers that mark licensed vehicles. It also said a taxi app that records trips by GPS would launch soon. For now the price is still agreed before you get in; how to agree it and which private apps work are on the page about taxis in Syria. The airport run is priced separately and covered on the page about Damascus airport to the city.

Final checks before you go

• Fare: a new tariff is expected after the September 2026 rise; ask before boarding.
• Notes: carry small notes, as change is often missing.
• Route: ask as you board whether the minibus goes as far as your district.
• Electric buses: not on the streets as of September 2026.