Managua have meters. By custom, many Nicaraguans and tourists alike agree on a fare before embarking on the vehicle. There are no railroads that operate in Managua or in Nicaragua. The country's railroads fell into disrepair during the 1980s. The Chamorro government closed the system and sold the cars and rails for scrap. However, the planned FERISTSA system would most likely bypass the capital and give Nicaragua its first-ever international railway. The President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, was presented with a plan to revitalize the city center. The project included the possibility of building a monorail that would cross over the
Managua Somoza García and his family (1936–1979), the city was rebuilt and began to grow rapidly. New government buildings were erected, industry developed, and universities were established. The city's development caught the attention of Irving Fields and Albert Gamse, who composed a musical piece about the city that became popular in the 1940s through the performances of Freddy Martin, Guy Lombardo and Kay Kyser. Managua had become Central America's most developed city. Today's references differentiate the pre-1970s Managua by labeling it as "La Antigua Ciudad," which in English translates to "The Ancient City" or "The Old City". Managua's progress came to