Inner City Bus Transportation

*Official place of residence in Tartu city, Kambja, Luunja or Tartu municipality.

Joint ticket gives you the right to use bus services and an access to Tartu Smart Bike Share network.

• Discounted tickets apply with personalized bus card.
• Discount groups: child (7-19 years old), youth (20-26 years old), elder (64 and more years old), severe disability.

Basis: Regulation No. 85 of Tartu City Council of June 2015

• To receive a discount for a pensioner living in Estonia who receives the old-age pension from a foreign country, a “Discount Group” must be added to the bus card, which can be done on the basis of a personal identification code and pension certificate at the Information Center of Tartu or by writing to [email protected].

If a passenger has not bought a specific ticket and there is enough money on the smart card account, the new system will charge the passenger the cheapest price, up to the price of a full day ticket. Passengers can take an unlimited number of trips for €2.50 (resident) or €3.75 (non-resident), there need to be at least €4.50 on the card. The system calculates the day-ticket itself.

Passengers with the right of free travel under the Public Transport Act (a Tartu bus smart card is not required and journeys do not need to be registered on the on-board validators):

• children under the age of seven as of 1^st October of the current school year
• children whose school entry has been deferred
• individuals 16 years and younger with a disability
• individuals 16 years and older with a profound disability
• individuals with severe visual impairments
• persons accompanying individuals with profound or severe visual impairments, or a visually impaired individual’s guide dog

Passengers with the right of free travel granted by the City of Tartu are persons whose registered place of residence is in the City of Tartu (the right of free travel does not apply on commercial lines). Such individuals can receive their first smart card from the City free of charge and may travel for free, but must register every trip on the on-board validators:

• persons 65 years and older (upon presentation of identification)
• severely disabled individuals with impaired mobility (upon presentation of a valid certificate)
• families with four or more children up to 19 years of age (upon presentation of a valid certificate from the department of social welfare)
• children in social welfare institutes (upon presentation of a valid certificate from the department of social welfare)
• persons accompanying children with disabilities or individuals with profound disabilities

From 1^st September 2015, the City of Tartu started using a modern ticketing system which is already in use in many places throughout Estonia and Europe. A contactless plastic chip card, or a sticker, which must be swiped at on-board validators upon entering a city bus, has been introduced. Use of the bus card is compulsory for all passengers, except those travelling for free under the provisions of the Public Transportation Act. Pensioners over the age of 65 and other passengers with the right to free travel from the City of Tartu, must also register their journey at the validator. Students can use their new student cards as bus cards. Tartu bus cards can also be used in Tartu County, Tallinn, Jõgeva County, Narva, Rakvere, Sillamäe, Lääne-Viru County, Hiiumaa, Saaremaa, Valga County, Põlva County and on Go Bus intercity lines. Bus cards of Tallinn, Go Bus and Ridango can be used in Tartu and vice versa.

• Bus cards can be purchased at R-Kiosk, shopping centres and other stores. A list of retailers is available at https://tartu.pilet.ee/pages/retailers. Cards cost €3.
• Passengers aged 65+ and other passengers with the right to free travel from the City of Tartu can receive their first bus card for free, upon presentation of a valid identity document. Cards can be collected from the City Hall Information Centre.

The ticketing system uses credit card-sized bus cards and similarly sized stickers, which can be attached to a wallet, telephone, or any other handy item. Both the card and the sticker function as bus cards and passengers can decide which one is most convenient for them.

1. Buy a card from sales points
2. Register your card
   *at sales points (€1)
   *on the Internet www.tartu.ee/bussikaart
3. Load money onto your card or buy a ticket:
   *at sales points
   *at www.tartu.ee/bussikaart
   *via your mobile phone
4. Board the bus and hold your card up to one of the on-board validators, until you hear a beep.
5. Safe travels!

• Both registered and non-registered cards can be used, but only registered cards (a card linked to one particular person) can receive a travel concession.
• Using a registered card also ensures that your credit is preserved in the event of you losing your card.

Registered cards are valid only with valid identification. Bus cards can be registered at sales points and online at https://tartu.pilet.ee/buy.

Tickets and ticket codes can be seen at https://tartu.pilet.ee/buy

When boarding a bus, hold your card or sticker up to the validator until you hear a beep. If your card has credit or a valid ticket, but you have not validated your trip, you may be fined. You can check your account balance by swiping your card a second time. Up to five people can travel together with single tickets using one card. First, register your card at the validator, then choose the number of tickets to be purchased using the arrows on the validator, then confirm your purchase by pressing OK and swiping your card again. Additional travellers can buy full-priced tickets only.

Follow validator instructions:
Blue – swipe card
Yellow – wait, your right to travel is being confirmed
Green – ticket activated/season ticket, ticket concession valid
Red – No right to travel/insufficient funds on your card

With the initiative of the Tartu City Youth Council, a new night bus will begin operating on the first weekend of December. Line 22 will run on two nights a week, on the nights leading into Saturday and Sunday, making three trips during the night. The bus departs from the Kesklinn II stop at 1:00 AM, 2:05 AM, and 3:10 AM.

Line No. 22 covers the areas of Karlova, Ropka, Variku, Tammelinn, Veeriku, Tähtvere, Supilinn, Kesklinn, and Annelinn.

The detailed route can be found here.

The Tartu City Youth Council and Tartu City Transport hope that the night buses will enhance the safety of city residents and reduce nighttime traffic congestion.

The pilot project will initially run until the end of spring 2025, when the bus schedules will switch to the summer timetable. The results of the project will be analyzed in the spring, and a decision will be made on whether night buses could become a permanent part of Tartu’s public transport system.