Taxi
While there appear to be thousands of yellow Damascus taxis motoring down every street, finding one with a working meter is increasingly rare – unless you use the new Star Taxi (9207), with good drivers and vehicles, meters that work and services to the airport, Jordan and Lebanon. The fare for a city-centre ride starts at around S£25 (although can be as low as S£15 if you find a driver willing to use a meter) and can rise to around S£50 for a cross-town fare. State your destination or a well-known nearby landmark and negotiate a price before getting in.
Note that it’s extremely difficult to find an empty taxi around 4pm to 6pm (rush hour) on working days and throughout the evenings when people are heading out or home from shopping. Allow an hour to get to any of the bus terminals during rush hour.

Buses
Micro buses, also known as servees, are one of the main sources of transportation in Damascus. All journeys inside the city costs 10 Syrian Pounds (20 American Cents approximately). You can go from one place to another in Damascus with at most one or two journeys. When on the bus, give any passenger a coin and he will pass it to the driver and return the change, just remember to tell that passenger how many people you are paying for, whether you are in a group, or tell him that you are paying "for one" ("waahid") if you are alone. The route is written (in Arabic only) on the roof sign. Micro buses do not generally have fixed stops except at very busy points, just beckon to the driver and he will stop near you (Al yameen, andak iza samaht).
There are also many city buses that likewise cost 10 SYP. One useful bus is #15, which runs from Al-Marjeh Square (Souq Sarouja\Old Town) to the Western Bus Station, which serves Beirut and Amman.

Taxi
Taxis are plentiful in Damascus, making them a great mode of transportation. The taxis of Star Taxi, a new private company, are more expensive than normal taxis, but they are also more comfortable and safer. You can call their headquarters and they will send the nearest taxi to your door. Taxis with the Damascus Governorate logo on the side and a number on the roof sign are normally equipped with a meter, and it is best to use only these when hailing a taxi on the street. You should normally leave a 10-pound tip as well as the fare on the meter. At night, taxi drivers do not usually use the meter, so you may be best off negotiating the price before you get in. A service taxi to Amman or Beirut cost 700 Syrian pounds and takes around 4 hours and run 24 hours. Do not hesitate to take them; they are new, clean vehicles with air conditioning.