Transport in French Guiana

The bus

The bus of the Joint Association of Public Transport (SMTC) serve only the municipality of Cayenne. There are seven lines. Some lines have 3 or 4 buses. The price of ticket, the normal rate is 1.10 euro for 2011. Note that the SMTC is a public body, and the lines are restricted. SMTC buses now have a system of air conditioning. The seats are more comfortable. These buses are also used to transport students from different schools. During the school year, the pregnant woman and senior citizens need to manage to find a place because these buses are always full, especially on market days. Buses only stop at bus stops (signs or shelters). The waiting time is about 15 to 40 minutes depending on the lines.

Line 1

Line No. 1 dessert habitat areas such as: CHATENAY, HORTH, GRANT, COULEE D’OR, JARDIN DE ZEPHIR, BOURDA, COLIBRI, et ZEPHIR, and major traffic generators in the Greater Cayenne (center city and administrative district schools).With a bus every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday, and a bus every hour on Saturday afternoon.Amplitude (2 bus Max): 5 h beginning 45, 20 end 14 h.

Line 2

Line No. 2 dessert habitat areas such as: RESIDENCE UNIVERSITAIRE, STANILAS, PASTEUR, RESIDENCE DE BADUEL, and major traffic generators in the Greater Cayenne (downtown and schools).With a bus every 35 minutes Monday to Saturday, and a bus every hour on Saturday afternoon.Amplitude (2 bus Max): 6 h beginning 15, 01 end 20 h.

Line No. 3

Line No. 3 serves residential areas such as: MANGUIER, THEMIRE, MANGO, BONHOMME, NOVA PARC, VENDÔME, CHEMIN TARZAN, MONT-LUCAS, and major traffic generators in the Greater Cayenne (downtown, administrative district and schools).With a bus every 22 minutes Monday to Saturday, and a bus every hour on Saturday afternoon.Amplitude (4 buses Max): 5 h beginning 45, end 19 h 56Line 4

Line No. 4

dessert habitat areas such as: RENOVATION URBAINE, EAU LISETTE, URANUS, ROSERAIE, MORTIN, ZENITH (Matoury), and major traffic generators in the Greater Cayenne (downtown, industrial park and schools).With a bus every 40 minutes Monday to Saturday, and a bus every hour on Saturday afternoon.Amplitude (2 bus Max): 5 h beginning 50, 20 end 13 h.

Line No. 5

Line No. 5 serves residential areas such as: LES ALIZES, ANATOLE, BRUTUS, CESAIRE, EAU LISETTE, BONHOMME, CABASSOU, and major traffic generators in the town of Cayenne (city, district administrative and schools).With a bus every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday, and a bus every hour on Saturday afternoon.Amplitude (2 bus Max): 6 pm start 00, end 20 h 04.

Line No. PC1

Line No. 1 PC (a small ring) serves an area of habitat in the Making (PETIT LUCAS, SAINT MARTIN, BOKRIS), downtown, industrial zones and GALMOT Collery, CAF services, other areas activity (Match MONTJOLY 2, C.C. KATOURY) and corresponds with all lines of the network by structuring ways.With a bus every hour from Monday to Saturday.Amplitude (1 bus): 5 h beginning 55, 19 end 20 h.

Line No. PC 2

Line No. 2 PC (inner ring 2), serves the same areas as the PC one in reverse.With a bus every hour from Monday to Saturday.Amplitude (1 bus): 6 h beginning 10, 20 end 10 h.

Air links

Air links, provided by Air Guyane, daily link Cayenne to Maripasoula and Saul. Price from 100 € to 120 € return.

Shared taxis

The taxi group (called Taxi Co) offers travel in minibuses of 9 seats. Their schedules are random, based as it ONLY when the minibus is full or nearly so. To connect the Commons Saint-Laurent du Maroni Mana Organabo Iracoubo Sinnamary, Kourou Macouria Cayenne Rémire-Montjoly Degrad des Cannes Balata and St. Rose of Lima Matoury Cocoa or Stoupan (common Roura), Régina Saint-Georges-de it Oyapock. All taxis are unaware systematically Degrad des Cannes or St. Rose of Lima. It is best to ask the driver before boarding. Montsinéry-Tonnegrande is the only coastal town not to be served by taxi group. Some example prices are (the go): €10 Cayenne-Kourou, St. Laurent-€25 Kourou, Cayenne-Saint-Georges-de-Oyapock €40.

The TIG

Since early 2010, an agreement was established between the General Council, responsible for organizing transport between the towns, and some carriers Taxi Co. The new public service became known as TIG (Long Distance Transport of Guyana).The TIG coexist with Taxi Co. The vehicle types are the same (a sticker "TIG" stands for the first second) but the Convention requires that transportation TIG have fixed schedules (vehicles go, they are filled or not) on defined paths (no collection or deposit on demand, no shortcuts). Prices are generally lower than the prices charged by the Taxi Co (example: Cayenne in Saint-Georges-de-Oyapock at €31 instead of 40 €).

The taxi boats

Canoe-taxis are on the Maroni (Surinamese border) between Saint-Laurent du Maroni and Apatou, as well as the Oyapock (Brazilian border) between Saint-Georges-de-Oyapock and the Brazilian city of Oiapoque.Apatou is located at 3 o'clock on the Maroni. Departures are daily at 11:00 (Degrad of the Ice in Saint-Laurent du Maroni) and back to 7 am. The price is 11 € one way. To cross the Maroni (to Albina), count 5 € each way.Oiapoque is located 15 minutes from St. George. Departures are on demand, usually when a number of passengers is met. Unlike Maroni, there is no curfew on the Oyapock. Canoes are available however, fewer night and the prices are somewhat higher (in 2012, crossing for a person: 5 € / day 10 reais, 7 € / night 15 reais).

Railways

A short railway is used within the Guiana Space Centre (this short railway is for transporting spacecraft inside the base to the launch pad, not for passenger use). The railway is double tracked and used by unpowered rail cars (tanker cars, flatcars and launch table transporter platforms fitted with bogies) and are towed by rubber wheeled vehicles with railway wheels or bogies to ride along the rail tracks.

From 1880s to sometime after 1926 a steam narrow gauge railway was used for gold mines in Saint-Elie and two other lines were partially built and never used.

Prison railways were built in the 1890s but the line was abandoned after prisons closed and disappeared sometime after 1946.

There are no other railways in French Guiana and none have existed for revenue passenger service, and there are no connections to neighbouring countries.

Highways

total: 1,817 km
paved: 727 km
unpaved: 1,090 km (1995 est.)

Waterways

460 km, navigable by small oceangoing vessels and river and coastal steamers; 3,300 km navigable by native craft

Ports and harbours

Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Airports

11 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 5 (1999 est.)