The bus transportation between cities is faster than the state railways (BDZ), but it’s a bit more expensive. The bus transportation between villages is done by both private shuttles and state buses. Bigger cities (Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, etc) have several bus stations. Buses play a significant role in long-distance public transportation, coaches are operated by public and private companies. Sofia has three major national bus terminals, the Central, the Western and the Southern Terminals, and a separate terminal for international routes. In the countryside, share taxis are in operation between smaller settlements. Taxis are of course not public transportation but since often they are the most convenient transportation, especially for transportation in the cities