The new prices, effective from February 1, replaced the uniform bus and minibus fees of 100 drams (25 U.S. cents) per ride and trolleybus fares set at 50 drams with a complex tariff system involving electronic payments for season tickets. Also, the price of one-ride ticket was raised to 150 drams.
The authorities said the higher fares are needed for cutting the municipal transport network’s losses and buying new buses badly needed by it. Their political opponents dismissed the official explanation, saying that Mayor Tigran Avinian’s office has enough funds to subsidize the network without resorting to the unpopular measure. The two opposition groups represented in Yerevan’s municipal council called on citizens to continue paying 100 drams.
Avinian, his aides as well as pro-government members of the city council insisted until recently that the opposition campaign has failed and that the vast majority of citizens support the “reform” of Yerevan’s troubled transport network. But in late May, the mayor complained about a significant shortfall in planned revenue resulting from the boycott.
The bill passed by the National Assembly was drafted by his office before being endorsed by the Armenian government. Presenting it to lawmakers on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Infrastructures Armen Simonian said at least 25 percent of commuters currently do not pay for public transport.
The authorities will now be allowed to fine them 15,000 drams ($39). Commuters failing to validate their tickets within a minute will be fined 3,000 drams. Opposition lawmakers denounced these penalties.
“This and other ‘reforms’ declared by them have failed miserably and they now need more money,” said Artur Khachatrian of the Hayastan alliance.
Members of the parliament’s pro-government majority rejected the opposition criticism. While claiming that “the boycott hasn’t succeeded,” one of them, Zaruhi Batoyan, said that “many citizens” have taken advantage of it and generated a “sense of injustice among people who dutifully pay for public transport.”