Misplaced Pages

#539460

53-656: GAZ began the design process for what became the M12 in May 1948, when the Soviet government requested a six-passenger sedan for the niche between the ZIS-110 and the Pobeda , with a deadline of twenty-nine months to produce it. Due to the lack of time, head designer Andrei Lipgart was given a choice between copying an American product (a Buick) or developing an entirely new model. He chose

106-471: A marshrutka anywhere along its route if there are seats available. Fares are usually paid before the marshrutka leaves; riders near the driver are responsible for handing up the other passengers' fares and passing back change. The Russian word маршрутка is the colloquial form for маршрутное такси , which literally means "routed taxi" ( маршрут referring to a planned route that something follows, and такси meaning "taxi"). The word маршрут

159-402: A case, once a passenger exits the marshrutka, the driver will stop for others and allow them on until it is full again. Marshrutkas may be boarded at bus stops, but will usually stop at other places if hailed, and often won't stop at bus stops unless a passenger requests an exit or a prospective passenger hails the marshrutka. Passengers may request to exit at any point but may have to wait until

212-458: A good choice for suburbs where bus services end around midnight, but some marshrutkas continue to run. In Central Asia (at least in Uzbekistan , Tajikistan , Kazakhstan , and Kyrgyzstan ), standing room is allowed on marshrutkas. Indeed, drivers will often encourage passengers to board the marshrutka and cram together until there is not enough space for another passenger to board. In such

265-477: A passenger could enjoy a private ride, the routed taxicab would pick up and drop passengers along its route. During communist rule, state-owned taxicab parks operated all marshrutkas. Outside of Moscow, other large Soviet cities organized routed taxis. For example, Gorky had a routed taxi line between Sormovo and the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin . As of 1939 , the full fare was Rbls  3.50;

318-434: A result unprofitable and cause economic loss. If a marshrutka charges the same fare as a municipal bus, the marshrutka will profit more, since there is an effective doubling of the profit due to there being one or no free pass riders on board. Marshrutka usually operate faster and with greater frequency than ordinary buses. Stopping marshrutka in the city, at established stops, comes out of practice, being difficult because of

371-465: A secondary market, had been used by entrepreneurs as a backup on the busiest routes since the early 1990s, it was not until the auto manufacturer GAZ rolled out in 1996 the first mass-produced Russian minibus, GAZelle , that the modern system took shape. GAZelle was an instant hit as it was a cheap (around US$ 8,000), easy-to-repair, and lease-friendly passenger minibus with a capacity of twelve seated passengers. A lot of individual entrepreneurs entered

424-648: A similar service cost 1 rouble by bus or 50 kopecks by tram. During World War II as the Red Army requisitioned cars, routed taxi services ceased. They resumed in Moscow in 1945. Only by the 1950s did they re-appear in most cities where they had operated before the war. ZiS-110 and GAZ-12 ZIM cars were widely used in this role until the mid-1960s. Routed taxicabs also offered interurban services. From Moscow, they drove to distant cities, such as Simferopol , Kharkiv , Vladimir , Tula , and Riazan . For example,

477-435: Is a Soviet limousine produced by ZIL from 1946 to 1958. The 110 was developed from the reverse engineering of a 1942 Packard Super Eight during 1944. The first five prototypes were completed by August 1945. It was powered by a 6-litre, straight 8-cylinder engine, producing 140 hp (104 kW) and giving a top speed of over 140 km/h (87 mph). It was made in both sedan and convertible versions. The ZIS

530-510: Is arguably one of the top cars of the 1940s. These cars were often given away as gifts to foreign communist leaders such as Chinese leader Mao Zedong and North Korean premier Kim Il-sung . After Stalin, the ZIL-110B cabriolet was used as a parade car for Nikita Khrushchev and this model was also given to Enver Hoxha , the lifelong president of Albania . Ho Chi Minh , the first president of North Vietnam, also received one (most likely from

583-400: Is commonly one and a half or twice the fare of a regular bus. The appeal for the route taxi is that it is considered to be a faster ride in less-crowded conditions than regular transport; the taxi routes that follow cross-city routes are most often the fastest means of mass transport. Also, collapse of municipal transport services in many cities made it absolutely impractical to commute without

SECTION 10

#1732783281540

636-875: Is from the German word Marschroute , which is composed of the words Marsch ("a walk, march") and Route ("route"). "Route taxicabs" were introduced in Moscow for the first time in the USSR in 1938, operated with ZiS-101 limousines. They offered ordinary people a chance to ride in luxurious ZiS cars, otherwise reserved for high officials. At first, they were used mainly for tourists and serviced mostly stations and airports. Unlike ordinary taxicabs using taximeters , routed taxicab rides are charged by zones, like trams , buses , and trolley buses . The fares were cheaper than those of ordinary taxis but higher than those of large-scale public transport. Unlike ordinary taxis, where

689-501: Is possible to find marshrutka routes connecting to several nearby small or mid-size cities. In Tbilisi , Georgia , marshrutkas ("მარშრუტკა" marshrutka ; officially, "სამარშრუტო ტაქსი", samarshruto taksi , "route taxi") stop upon passengers' request at designated bus stops. In Marshrutkas, just as in buses, all cabs accept only digital payments, either from the Tbilisi MetroMoney card (pre-loaded city transportation card),

742-542: Is the poor noise insulation, which means you have to practically scream at the driver to request a stop. Mini marshrutkas were built in Russia in 2019. In Ukraine, the Bogdan A091 and A092 buses are the most common route taxi which can be found operating in towns and cities. Generally the fare is higher than city owned public buses. Alighting the bus is possible regardless of the designated bus stop, but generally this

795-500: Is up to driver's discretion. State Automobile inspection (ДАІ) forbids picking up passengers outside of the bus stops. Marshrutkas do not require tickets, although a passenger can ask for a ticket when paying the fare as a receipt for expense claim purposes. Etalons and Bogdans usually have a conductor on board selling the tickets. In the GAZelle or converted van, the fare is paid directly to the driver, either upon pickup or departure of

848-405: Is why there are many times more marshrutkas in the city than ordinary buses, trolleybuses and trams altogether. Since municipally funded buses must transport pass holders for free, pass holders prefer using municipal buses to private buses. The lack of marshrutkas' free-ride obligations is because they are classed as "taxis." Ordinary municipal buses, which are usually "full of free riders", are as

901-462: The 70 PS (51 kW) in the truck), and the transmission. The ZIM's compression ratio was increased to 6.7:1, but it was still able to employ the 70 octane petrol (gasoline) common in the Soviet Union; this, plus an improved intake manifold and twin-choke (two-barrel) carburetor , was responsible for the increased power. The front suspension was by coil springs, with leaf springs at

954-608: The GAZ factory was officially named Gorkovsky avtomobilny zavod imeni V.M. Molotova , or the Vyacheslav Molotov Gorky automotive factory , in honour of the Soviet Foreign Minister. All of the models carried the prefix M instead of GAZ . However, for a car of executive class, a new catchy abbreviation was introduced, coinciding with bigger ZIS limousines. In the style of American car fashion that

1007-457: The Japanese minibuses like Toyota Hiace are more popular. Often they (except GAZelle and Japanese vans) are refurbished from vans by special enterprises (such as ST Nizhegorodets, PKF Luidor, Promteh-NN and others) by cutting windows, inserting the glass, installing seats, automatic sliding doors, trim and handrails (are licensed manufacturers of vans for a given activity and are sold through

1060-520: The Moscow- Yalta route operated in the summer, taking two days, with a night stop in Belgorod (near Kursk ). In the 1960s, RAF-977 minibusses became the most common routed-taxi vehicles, replacing passenger cars. Municipal authorities operated the routes. The quality and concept varied greatly between regions. The fare gap between buses and routed taxicabs lessened. In Moscow, for example,

1113-724: The Soviet Union), which can be seen on display on the grounds of his former residence in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Production ended in 1958, with total of 2,089 cars made. Famous owners of the ZIS-110 have included the following people, but most of them were often given away as gifts to foreign communist leaders. Marshrutka Marshrutnoye taksi ( Russian : Маршрутное такси ; Ukrainian : Маршрутне таксі , romanized :  Marshrutne taksi , lit.   ' Routed taxicab '), commonly known by

SECTION 20

#1732783281540

1166-657: The Travel Card, or any credit or debit card supporting NFC transactions. Historically, marshrutkas ("mikroautobuss" in Latvian) were a common means of transport in larger cities of the Latvian SSR , the RAF-2203 was the only minibus used for this purpose. In today's Latvia , marshrutkas are no longer in service in most cities, including Riga . Minibuses with a fixed schedule and fixed bus stops have taken over as

1219-568: The ZIM was exported only to a limited extent, including some examples to Poland , Czechoslovakia , Finland (as large-capacity taxis or sometimes even for private sale) and the GDR . In Czechoslovakia, it was intended to replace the Tatras of the pre-war period, but was not particularly popular due to the poorer driving performance and the initially not fully satisfactory build quality. In the Soviet Union, on

1272-590: The business, and prices dropped due to increased competition. Another consequence was a massive response from car and bus manufacturers. Old manufacturers introduced smaller, more maneuverable models (like PAZ or KAZ) and started licensed assembly of minibuses ( KrAZ started assembling Iveco minibuses). Diesel models in the form of the new Isuzu Bogdan , Tata Etalon and others have seen immense popularity. The capacity grew from fifteen sitting passengers to jam-packed small buses of fifty. The busiest routes in major cities now use full-size privately owned buses operating at

1325-562: The capital and to most large cities in the country. Most rutierele are white and have only the roof vent and front windows for airflow. Rutierele will usually seat around 16 people with space for another 15 to 20 to stand while holding railing. In Yerevan , Armenia , marshrutkas ( Armenian : մարշրուտկա maršrutka or երթուղային տաքսի ert’uġayin tak'si ) fares are paid when the passenger exits. There are no tickets issued. Marshrutkas can be hailed anywhere along their route, though they do have specific stops and riders can exit at any point if

1378-429: The car literature disproved. The database includes, in addition to some pictures of commissars with Packards, a registry of existing cars and information about all ZIS versions, but particularly a point to point comparison between the products of Packard and ZIS. Therefore more likely that the top commissars, including Joseph Stalin , owned several Packards and wanted their first effort at a luxury car to be based on what

1431-543: The city bus system, and operated with smaller buses. In Kaunas, where marshrutka routes were less duplicative, there were attempts to regulare the network, which included a tender to select a single operator, however, the service became unprofitable and was stopped in 2019. The only major city in Lithuania that still operates marshrutkas is Klaipėda, where, since 2018, they are regulated with strict standards, consist of new low-floor stock, and are officially integrated into

1484-402: The city, persons with disabilities, students, law enforcement workers, and civil servants (pass holders) ride for free. Marshrutkas will not take more free passengers (e.g. disabled) than the strictly limited quantity of one per vehicle, while in ordinary buses, trolleybuses and trams the number is not limited and more categories of people (pensioners, etc.) have the right to ride for free. This

1537-475: The colloquialism Marshrutka ( Russian and Ukrainian : маршру́тка , Russian: [mɐrʂˈrutkə] , Ukrainian: [mɐrʃˈrutkɐ] , plural marshrutki ), are share taxis found in Eastern Europe and the republics of the former Soviet Union. Usually vans, they drive along set routes, depart only when all seats are filled, and may have higher fares than buses. Passengers can board

1590-505: The driver deems that it is convenient to stop. The typical Central Asian marshrutka is usually a white minibus branded " Mercedes ", though may come in any number of colours, sometimes used to distinguish a specific route. The models most commonly used have a vent in the roof that may be opened by passengers if the atmosphere inside becomes too stuffy. Though not the norm, other vehicles are used as well. The normal price per fare in Bishkek

1643-539: The driver is willing to pull over. While the law requires that marshrutkas stop only at designated stops while on major streets, compliance with this law depends on the driver and the degree of police enforcement at any given time. Marshrutkas are the primary form of vehicular intercity transit in Armenia (outside of the Ararat Valley , where some full-sized bus lines operate). From most bus stations in Armenia, it

GAZ-12 ZIM - Misplaced Pages Continue

1696-448: The help of marshrutkas at all. Marshrutkas are banned from operations within Moscow and Saint Petersburg. However, marshrutkas with routes leading to or originating from Moscow Oblast are allowed to operate in the city and are common in the districts bordering Moscow Oblast such as Vykhino-Zhulebino , Novokosino or Levoberezhny . It is relatively cheap and fast to ride a marshrutka. The only drawback, sometimes noted by foreigners,

1749-477: The large number of passengers and the high frequency of the stops. In the 1990s when local authorities temporarily lost their ability to finance city bus work, the bus drivers installed tablets with the inscription "Taxomotor" in their bus windows. That meant that every passenger had to pay the fare. In Minsk , Belarus , the fleet of vehicles is the same as Russia, consisting of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Ford Transit . In Moldova , rutierele run all over

1802-547: The latter, despite high level support for simply badge engineering a Buick , although the styling on the production vehicle still resembles a 1948 Buick Super . The M12 used a lengthened Pobeda monocoque chassis (with a 3,200 mm (130 in) wheelbase ), and about half the drivetrain components of the GAZ-51 and GAZ-63 trucks, including an improved version of the 3,485 cc (212.7 cu in) inline six engine (producing 95 PS (70 kW), rather than

1855-424: The market, as well as some larger companies. At this time, licensing for public transportation in particular was not required. The vehicle only had to pass annual safety check-ups, which were relatively easy, since local authorities trusted GAZ cars. Moreover, the GAZelle could be easily equipped to run on natural gas . During this period, most marshrutkas followed well-established public transit routes. Witnessing

1908-462: The official dealer network). Route taxis congregate at train stations, metro stations, and transfer points at the end of tram and trolley bus routes. Minibuses are also used, such as PAZ-3205 (in small towns), PAZ-3204 , Bogdan , Hyundai County , as well as small buses from China. In the Gazelle, there are no standing places due to a lack of height and if the cabin is filled, they do not stop at

1961-547: The other hand, the car was widespread and continued to see many years of use even after the end of production. It was also used by the militia , with these vehicles painted dark blue with red side stripes and a red flashing light on the roof. In 1960, production of all three versions of the GAZ-12 ZIM ended after a total of 21,527 units. The GAZ-12 was replaced by the GAZ-13 Chaika . ZIS-110 The ZIS-110

2014-512: The outskirts of the cities, especially in allotments , where the larger city buses simply wouldn't fit or weren't convenient to operate. In Vilnius, various marshrutka companies (all with similarly old stock) used to operate, which saw a gradual decline in growth since the late 2000s, and completely fell out of favour in 2013, when the city municipality reorganised public transport in the city. The duplicate routes were closed, spiritually replaced by express buses, while some unique routes were added to

2067-480: The passenger. It is common etiquette for passengers to relay the fare of fellow passengers to the driver, and the change back on crowded buses. In Kyiv, Ukraine and other cities, marshrutkas evolved into "everybody pays" fast buses. The public route microbuses can be small, medium-size, and sometimes big buses, with a higher fare than on ordinary municipally funded buses. They also do not take month subscription tickets. Marshrutkas do not carry pensioners. Depending on

2120-603: The prevailing means of transport in places where marshrutkas once dominated. In Lithuania , marshrutkas ("maršrutiniai taksi", informally "mikriukai" - lit. "minibuses") had been in service in a variety of cities since the end of the 1980s, with the largest networks in Vilnius and Kaunas , though also present in Klaipėda , Šiauliai and elsewhere, mostly operating on routes in the city limits with some exceptions. They operated in usual hail-and-ride model, with fixed bus stops only at

2173-667: The public transport system, though only a separate, more expensive ticket is valid. In Estonia , marshrutkas ("Marsruuttakso" in Estonian) are used in Tallinn . They are mostly used on routes connecting the city to small towns nearby, such as Saku , Saue and Kose where most people have cars and demand for public transport is lower but the many departure times are still useful. Late evening departures may have higher fares because local trains and other alternative means of transportation are not running. In late evening marshrutkas are also

GAZ-12 ZIM - Misplaced Pages Continue

2226-637: The rear tread (track), at 1,560 mm (61 in), was wider than the front by 100 mm (3.9 in), to ensure the rear seat would accommodate three passengers. The result was an Oldsmobile -like "bulge". It was also the first GAZ to feature the leaping gazelle hood ornament . The first car was built in October 1950, and was notionally available to average citizens; its 40,000 ruble price made purchase unlikely (comparing to 16,000 for mid-class Pobeda). The ZIM abbreviation stands for Zavod imeni Molotova ( Russian : Завод имени Молотова ). Prior to 1957,

2279-592: The rear, and hydraulic shock absorbers . It had drum brakes at all four corners. Despite lacking power steering, the 18.2:1 ratio steering box made turning fairly easy. It offered a standard three-band AM radio , at a time when radios were not standard on most American cars, even the most expensive ones. The car weighed 1,940 kg (4,280 lb), was capable of getting 19 L/100 km (12 mpg ‑US ; 15 mpg ‑imp ), of reaching 78 mph (126 km/h), and of accelerating 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 37 seconds. It had one unusual feature:

2332-428: The request of people standing at the bus stops, only stopping when one or more seats become vacant (the driver monitors the filling and turns away extra passengers at the entrance). In other shuttles passengers can board standing places, regardless of occupancy of the seats. The taxi will skip stops if they are not requested and, if operated with a GAZelle or similar, bypass hailing riders until it has empty seats. The fare

2385-436: The same price with municipal companies. The original GAZelle saw a few official modifications to its body, length and passenger capacity to better serve buyer demands, including models featuring diesel engines. In Russia, GAZelle , Mercedes-Benz Sprinter , Peugeot Boxer , Fiat Ducato , Renault Master , Volkswagen Crafter , Iveco Daily and Ford Transit vans are usually used as route taxis, although in eastern parts

2438-568: The standard bus fare was 5 kopecks, and the minibus fare was 15 kopecks on most routes; in Gorky a regular bus-ride was 6 kopecks, and a routed-taxi ride was 10 kopecks. Later, the new model RAF-2203 Latvija (introduced in 1976) replaced the RAF-977 minibusses. Eventually, practically all marshrutka services used RAF-2203 Latvijas ; many people referred to marshrutkas as "Latvias" or "RAFicks". The introduction of market economies greatly changed

2491-432: The start and end of the route, marked with a signpost. In order for the service to be the most profitable, some routes identical to existing bus and trolleybus ones were operated, with the drivers sometimes driving erratically, weaving in and out of traffic, stopping in forbidden locations in order to gain a speed advantage that made them attractive to the passengers. Other kinds of routes were operated on narrow streets in

2544-572: The success of privately owned public transportation led to some reaction from the society. Local authorities responded by toughening safety and licensing requirements—like mandatory free transportation of a certain number of disabled passengers upon request and "package deals" in route licensing—tying the privilege to drive on a lucrative route to the chore of driving several not-so-profitable ones. The market became dominated either by large companies or by unions of owner-operators of individual minibuses. Some of municipal public transportation companies entered

2597-466: The supply of transportation to the urban population in the CIS. The demand for faster and more versatile public transit came to be fulfilled dramatically, while the demand for the underfunded municipal transportation system dropped; people were willing to pay a premium for better service. Although buses (like Ikarus , LAZ , PAZ , RAF , and KAvZ , as well as irregularly imported used minibusses), obtained on

2650-450: The vehicle was inspired by, the ZIM was used extensively to decorate the car: the hubcaps, the bonnet, the radiator grille, even the horn button on the steering wheel. However, Molotov's career abruptly ended in May 1957, when he lost a political fallout with Nikita Khrushchev . Thereafter, the USSR rapidly renamed cities, streets, ships and factories that had been named after him. ZIM, which

2703-412: Was also overweight for the engine. An ambulance GAZ-12B was also built in 1951–1960, with folding seats for medics and basically same body; stretchers were loaded through the trunk. There was also a taxi variant GAZ-12A, used mainly as a marshrutka in state-owned inter-city communication, and a draisine designed and built on the ZIM basis for the use on narrow-gauge railways . Due to the high price,

SECTION 50

#1732783281540

2756-474: Was in production, from the summer of 1957 was hurriedly renamed GAZ-12 , and all of the badges and adornments replaced by the new abbreviation. Moreover, right up until the perestroika the car was officially named labelled only as the GAZ-12, whilst unofficially it was almost exclusively referred to as the ZIM. A prototype four-door cabriolet was built in 1949, but not produced, due to problems with rigidity. It

2809-596: Was rumored to use machinery from the Packard 180 assembly line which was sent to the USSR after American production ended. However, according to The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company , there is no evidence whatsoever in the Packard archives of such a transfer. Moreover, as one of the main results of the collection of information and material of Bert Hein, there can be many current opinions within

#539460