Transportation is generally safe, but there are dangers.
Imagine John, who just arrived in Asunción from Canada, seeking freedom and a cheaper cost of living. He looks out of the window of his Villa Morra AirBnB, and sees trees everywhere. It’s beautiful, but he’s bored. John decides to go to the movie theater in Paseo La Galería.
Using Google Maps, John learns that several buses leave from Avenue Mariscal López towards Paseo La Galería. It’s 8pm on a Tuesday, so rush hour has passed, but he doesn’t see the bus that he needs.
A local Paraguayan notices that John looks lost, and asks John where he’s going. The local man, named Edgar, checks the Jaha app, and tells John that the “28” and “30” buses come every 10-15 minutes.
After a few minutes, a loud 28 bus speeds towards the bus stop. It slams on the brakes and John follow Edgar on. Edgar scans a card on a machine by the driver and walks in, but John has a problem. He’s unable to scan his credit card. The bus driver loudly gives John some instructions in Spanish, but John can’t decode his unfamiliar accent.
The bus has started moving forward, but John still isn’t past the turnstile. Panicking, he waves to Edgar for help. Edgar points to the card in his hand; it’s not a credit card. Edgar says “You need to buy a bus card!”
John is forced off at the next stop, and finds a Biggie convenience store and asks to buy a Más card. He pays about $4 for it, but then the cashier warns him that it only comes preloaded with one ride. He asks to load up the card, but the cashier can’t. She explains that it’s cash only to load up the bus card. John sighs in frustration, and seeks out the nearest ATM.
John returns with cash, and the cashier happily loads his Más card with 100,000 Guaraníes. That’s good for about 30 trips.
John returns to the bus station and gets in the back of a 3-person line to finally board his bus. This is when he encounters the biggest danger of using buses in Asunción.
John is half hanging out of the open door, when the bus starts driving forward. He has to grip tightly so he doesn’t fall off. When John finally gets to the movie theater and steps off the bus, he notices the bus starts moving again before his 2nd foot is off.
At the Paseo La Galería, John runs into his friend Sarah. She’s shocked when he says he used the bus, and she brings up the 2nd danger of using buses in Paraguay.
Sarah has heard that there is sometimes pickpocketing on Paraguayan buses. But she realizes that there is minimal risk outside of rush hour. Pickpockets prey upon crowded buses, and want to get away without confrontation. There’s only a significant risk on a crowded bus, and the risk can be mitigated by securely holding valuables, and wearing backpacks on the front of one’s body.
It’s 11pm by the time John’s movie finishes, so there aren’t many buses out. John decides to call a Bolt rideshare, because Sarah told him that it’s cheaper than Uber. It’s cheaper for a reason…
A Bolt driver accepts right way, and is only two minutes away, but they ask John if he’s paying cash. John is confused: He added his credit card to the app, why would he pay cash? He tells the Bolt driver that he’s paying with card, and they immediately cancel. Another Bolt accepts his ride request, and they message him if he’s paying with cash. John ignores their message. The Bolt comes all the way up to the pick up point. John is approaching the car when the driver texts him again, asking if it’s cash. John ignores it, and then his phone vibrates as the driver cancels the ride.
Finally a third driver accepts his ride without asking about cash, and the Bolt app indicates that it has arrived. Bolt starts its two-minute countdown to enter the car without late-fees, but John is confused. He doesn’t see the red Mazda that is supposed to pick him up. Instead, the driver of black Toyota waves and calls John’s name. But John was expecting his driver to be a woman named Luz, not a man. He walks over, and the man explains that he’s using his wife’s Bolt account and car to drive.
Entering the car, John notices that windows are open because there is no air conditioning. John forces the seatbelt buckle receptacle out from a seat cover, but his seatbelt won’t click. He changes seats, but again, the seatbelt will not buckle. Curious, John asks his driver why the other Bolts were insisting on cash payments. The driver explains that many Bolt drivers aren’t able to wait for payouts, and need their earnings in-hand at the end of the day.
While distracted, the Bolt makes a wrong turn (John noticed that the driver wasn’t following the map). The driver realizes this, and asks John how to get to his AirBnB. John doesn’t know, he’s frustrated that he has to navigate for the driver that he hired.
Finally, John makes it back home, and learns the following about Uber vs Bolt
Bolts are cheaper than Ubers, but their experience is worse. This is because Uber vets their drivers, and Bolt doesn’t.
| Uber | Bolt | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Expensive | Cheaper |
| Safety | Better | Worse |
| Security | Vetted Drivers | No Vetting of drivers |
| Vehicle Condition | Better | Worse |
| Payment | Card Only | Card or Cash |
| Wait Time | Longer | Shorter |
Taxis are in general less safe than Uber
Airport taxis are safe, but expensive
The risk in taking a taxi without using Uber or Bolt is that the taxi is less regulated. It’s not tracked by a rideshare app, so if they were to commit any harm to a passenger, it might be easier for a driver to evade consequences.
Pickpocketing
There are buses in Paraguay travel to other cities, and even countries. Passengers should be vigilant for pickpocketing if the buses are packed, but they are generally safe because they are more luxurious and spacious than intracity buses. More info on intercity buses can be found here.
The average 20-minute Uber ride will cost about $3.00. It tends to be slightly cheaper or more expensive depending on traffic. Bolt is a cheaper rideshare app, which tends to be 5% - 40% cheaper than Uber.
Asunción buses cost 2,300 G's ($0.33), or 3,400 G's ($0.49) if they are air-conditioned.
Bus trips must be paid for with a Más or Jaha card. These bus cards can be bought and charged in grocery stores, Biggie convenience stores, gas stations, and street vendors. The cards cost about $4.00 and come with one trip loaded on them. To add more value to the card, physical cash must be paid.
Once on the bus, riders can push a button near the exit to request the driver to stop.
The bus cards in Asunción allow riders to have a small negative balance. The balance of a card is displayed every time a rider scans the card to enter a bus.
Bolt is cheaper, but it's a worse experience. If you want speed and affordability, use Bolt. If you want increased safety, more comfort, or want to impress a date, use Uber.
Pros of Bolt
Cons of Bolt
Pros of Uber
Cons of Uber
Taxis are generally safe, especially taking a taxi service from the Asunción airport. However, they are less safe than rideshare apps, because they aren't tracked. Using a rideshare app provides natural security/consequences and prevents passengers from being taken advantage of.
One can reserve an Uber or Bolt the day before, and it will likely cost less than $20. It is also possible to order the rideshare immediately, but slightly risks a long wait. Be sure to ask the driver to stop for chipa at the famous chipa stand along the way!
There are plenty of buses between 6am and 8pm on weekdays. The quantity drops after nightfall. Sundays have the least amount of buses. The buses are privately owned, so there is no official schedule during the daytime.
From 10pm to 4am, the city government operates a night owl bus, called the Búho.