In operation since 1952, the system presently comprises four routes, including one summer-only variant, serving the city and the surrounding comuni.

An interurban route to Quartu Sant'Elena via followed on 18 March 1962, served by services C-nero and C-rosso (C-black and C-red).

Closures continued later in the 1970s, and by 1983, only routes 5, C-black, and C-red remained in operation with trolleybuses.

Its outermost section, between Via Vergine di Lluc (along route 5) and Poetto, is not equipped with overhead trolley wires, and the trolleybuses cover it on battery power – a feature added to the fleet in the mid-2010s, with the newest vehicles (the last two Solaris vehicles and last four Van Hool units).

[6][10] The present fleet comprises the following 32 trolleybuses:[12] Six of the 32 trolleybuses are equipped with batteries giving them the ability to operate in service on battery power for part of each trip, along route sections not equipped with overhead wiring.