Minsk metro worked until 1:00 AM for the World Cup final. But the match ended later
The queue of those wishing to call a taxi exceeded 450 people.
More than 20,000 spectators gathered to watch the final match broadcast at the "Dinamo" stadium. If the winner had been determined in regular time, fans would have managed to leave by metro, whose operation was extended until 01:00 AM. But the match dragged on, and the metro closed. People had to leave on foot, writes Onliner.by.
It seemed that taxi drivers could have made good money, but there simply weren't enough cars — demand far exceeded supply.
Here's what participants of the events wrote about it on social media.
«It was obvious that the match wouldn't end by 01:00 AM [it ended at 01:02 AM — NN], so I hoped until the last moment that the metro would continue operating. But no — they just stayed longer and closed, not waiting for those for whom they supposedly extended the schedule. And there's nothing to say about taxis.»
«For the first 40 minutes, I walked, then I had to download a kicksharing app and learn to ride scooters.»
«I came by bike, and it was the best decision. When we approached the block where the girls from our company live, the taxi app showed a queue of 70 people. Then I rode my bike along Pritytskogo Street to Kamennaya Gorka — there were scooters everywhere, and many groups were just walking.»
It is reported that at its peak, the taxi queue reached 462 orders. The increased demand persisted for several more hours, and some only returned home in the morning.
There were also those who decided not to risk it. They got home easier but didn't see the winning goal live.
«The metro was extended until one in the morning, but it was clear that if you stayed until the end of extra time, you wouldn't make it. So after regular time, we went to the metro and went home. By the way, many did that. We managed to get there quickly and without problems.»
«We wanted to watch the match until the end»
Reader Andrey told how he was returning home with his 15-year-old son.
— We went to the stadium for the second half by metro, because there were road closures and traffic jams around "Dinamo", and parking a car would have been problematic. When extra time began, many started leaving the stands. Since there were many young people among them, we mistakenly thought they just went home because they promised their parents. It turned out they simply calculated the time to catch the metro. But we really wanted to watch the match until the end and experience the emotions of the decisive goal. As a result, Ferran Torres scored, and the reaction of more than 22,000 people at "Dinamo", I'm sure, will overshadow all post-match inconveniences in our memory.
— We left the stadium a little earlier than the main crowd, but the square in front of "Dinamo" was already filled with people waiting for taxis. In the app — over a hundred orders in the queue. Together with others, we walked to the "Kupalauskaya" metro station, but there we were met by only two policemen with the words: «Already closed». It turned out that the metro operated strictly until 01:00 AM, and not until the actual end of the match. There was still hope for electric scooters. Journalists tried to find them, but all those they came across (scanned 5-7 QR codes) were unavailable for rent. We had to walk.
On the way, we met people at bus stops — it seemed there were no fewer of them than on a normal evening. Only it was already half past one in the morning. What they were waiting for was unclear: perhaps a taxi, or maybe just resting.
Overall, the forced march turned out to be even pleasant: unfamiliar groups around discussed football (most, like us, supported Spain), no openly drunk people were encountered, and the mood was elevated. As a result — about 4 kilometers on foot and approximately 6,000 steps — a decent end to a sporting evening.
«Agreed in advance: if they don't make it, they'll take a taxi»
Hanna didn't go to "Dinamo", but her 18-year-old son went there with friends.
— We discussed everything in advance: the metro works until 01:00 AM, if they don't make it, they'll take a taxi, — she says. — When it became clear that the game would last longer, there was no choice — they stayed to watch the final. But after the match ended, calling a taxi turned out to be almost impossible: they were already in the second hundred in the queue, demand was very high, and the cost of the trip to Kamennaya Gorka approximately doubled.
As a result, the guys walked to Nyamiha. According to them, the atmosphere on the streets was very friendly and safe. From there, they managed to call a taxi at a price slightly higher than usual. Everyone returned home around three in the morning.
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