Curitiba's Bus Stops That Look Like Tubes

Curitiba, a city in Brazil, has a very unusual kind of bus stop. It is called a tube station because it looks like a long glass tube. People wait inside before the bus comes. [1]

The tube station has a raised platform. The platform is close to the same height as the bus floor. This can make it easier for people to step from the station into the bus. [1][3]

Many fast buses use a bus lane. A bus lane is a part of the road for buses, not regular cars. Curitiba started this kind of fast bus system in 1974. It is often called BRT. [2]

People can pay the fare before the bus comes. The fare is the price of the bus trip. They enter the station first and wait. When the bus arrives, several doors can open, so people can get on and off quickly. [3]

The stations also help different bus lines connect. URBS says people can use more than one line with one fare in much of the city system. Curitiba now has more than 337 tube stations. [1]

The stations are still changing. In 2026, people could again pay in the bus system with some phones and watches. [4] The round stations look unusual, but they help a bus trip work more like a fast city train.