Need to Get Around in Hermosillo, Ciudad Obregon or Navojoa?
Take the Une!
Thanks to a new urban transportation service in Sonora, you do not need to walk long distances or pay for a taxi while in Hermosillo, Ciudad Obregon or Navojoa – you can take an Une bus.
Une is a new public transit system funded by the state of Sonora with the goal of modernizing urban transportation in the entire state.
It is currently in the first phase of the program, with 140 climate-controlled buses driven by trained and certified operators that cover routes in the three major cities of Central and Southern Sonora, transporting more than 200,000 Sonorans every day. And the state government plans to expand the system to the entire state.
In Navojoa, the Unes start at the Mercado Municipal (Municipal Market) and fan out in circuitous routes to various parts of the city from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Une website is currently only in Spanish and only features Hermosillo routes, but most buses have route information written on them and if you are looking to go to a specific destination in Navojoa you can ask the driver when the bus is parked outside of the mercado.
When I visited Navojoa in April of 2017 I was pleasantly surprised to see the Unes driving by the home where I was staying. And even more pleased after I rode some of the buses and found that they went to all the local destinations that I wanted to visit.
The fare was 7 pesos, but you need to bring exact change or pay a bit more, because the toll machine located just inside the front door does not make change. The rides were air conditioned, smooth and enjoyable – a great way to get familiar with the city by looking outside the large windows of the Une.
The Une system also has some technological savvy. Buses are tracked via satellite in real time, riders can purchase an Une card and make online bus pass purchases, and there is even an Une app on their website. Une also has a Facebook page.
So keep the Une in mind as a viable transportation option when you are exploring Navojoa, Ciudad Obregon or Hermosillo – it really is a great service!
