Algiers is the capital and chief seaport of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, population approximately 3.5m. Located along the Bay of Algiers and first settled by Phoenicians, it was later ruled by the Romans. The French took the city in 1830 and made it their headquarters for their African colonial empire. In World War II (1939–45), it became the Allied headquarters in northern Africa and, for a time, the provisional capital of France. The city centre is built on steep hillsides with narrow hairpin roads and many flights of pedestrian steps. A promenade, several kilometres long and dissected by the commercial dock area, provides a seaside feel. 19th and 20th century architecture give the city a cosmopolitan air, whilst the Casbah (the old walled quarters) harks back to an earlier time.
The skyline is dominated by the Martyrs Memorial which was opened
in 1982 to honour the 20th anniversary of Algeria’s brutal and bloody war for
independence. The memorial rises 302 feet tall and is comprised of three
soaring “palm leaves,” each punctuated at the base by a statue of a single
Algerian soldier. At sea level the Great Mosque of Algeria, Africa's largest
mosque, boasts the world's tallest minaret which dominates the landscape.
Mercedes‑Benz O345 with MCV 120 body
operated by Tahkout, a specialist in education transport, although some routes
have transitioned to public entities like ETUSA or the Transtev group. Photographed at the Place de la Grande Poste which
was built on the site of an Anglican church. The main post office was designed
by Jules Voinot and Marius Toudoire, constructed in 1910 and is a fine example
of French-designed, early 20th-century Moorish architecture.
Local bus services, tram and cable cars are managed by Urban and Suburban Transport Establishment of Algiers (ETUSA). As with many large cities, there are roadside terminus points although the city centre focal point for many services is the bus station at Gare routière Tafourah just off the promenade. The majority of buses departing are Isuzu Ecobus minibuses and Sonacome/SNVI. Route numbers 100-105 form the core services along the western coast corridor, 121-128 head south and east, and routes 129 and 130 also use the bus station. Some distance to the east is the express coach station, Gare Routiere Grandes Invalides Caroubier, in the commune of Hussein Dey and managed by The Société de Gestion des Gares Routières d'Algérie (SOGRAL). Next door is Caroubier Bus Station, the largest urban hub in Algiers. Route numbers from Caroubier are 140-148 and 150-151.
On 3rd May 2026 ETUSA launched 30 new bus routes from the
following termini: Hussein Dey (1 route), Rouïba (1 route), Baraki (1 route),
Chéraga (1 route), El Harrach (2 routes), Bir Mourad Raïs (4 routes), Draria (2
routes), Sidi Abdellah (6 routes), Bir Touta (2 routes), Zéralda (3 routes),
Sidi ’hamed (1 route), Bab El Oued (1 route), and Cross‑District
Lines (5 routes). Plus three routes that extend beyond Algiers. The launch of
these new routes coincided with the delivery of the first batch of new Tirsam
buses, the first of several thousand expected.
The city also has a single metro line currently being
extended to the airport.
Shoukran to Rafik Cheraitia in whose footsteps I faithfully
followed whilst showing me the city.
A line of Isuzu Ecobus minibuses and
one Tata parked on Rue Hammadi Nacer.
A SNVI 38L6 is short front-engine bus. Photographed at the Memorial park on Avenue November 1st.
Mercedes-Benz Conecto bus operated
by ETUSA standing at the Station de Bus Audin on Rue Didouche Mourad. This
bus terminus is the departure point for services 170-174 with destinations
towards the west of the city centre.
Mercedes-Benz Conecto bus operated by ETUSA passing the Botanical
Garden Hamma. In 1832, Pierre Genty De Bussy, the Civil Intendant, and General
Antoine Avisard, Interim Governor, decided to drain the marshes at the foot of
the Arcades hill. The 32 hectares Botanical Garden of Hamma were created.
Mercedes-Benz Conecto bus operated by ETUSA on Rue Asselah
Hocine.
Higer passing the Museum of Fine Arts on route 24. This bus
is part of a new fleet of 102 buses received by ETUSA in April 2026 to
modernize urban transport. The fleet includes 32 large capacity 100 passenger
buses. The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest art museums in Africa.
Express coaches in Gare Routiere Grandes Invalides Caroubier.
