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. A ticket valid for 180 minutes now costs around 300 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 the mayor’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 to pay 100 drams even after Mayor Tigran Avinian made a major concession in late January, introducing a new, one-ride ticket worth 150 drams. Opposition leaders, notably former Mayor Hayk Marutian, personally toured bus stops, boarding buses and posting video appeals on social media for that purpose.
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.
The mayor complained on Monday about the financial impact of the boycott during a weekly meeting of municipal officials. Figures cited by him suggest that one in four commuters refuses to pay the higher prices. As a result, the municipal budget lost an equivalent of about $6 million in planned revenue in the first quarter of this year alone.
Avinian and one of his deputies, Suren Grigorian, criticized those “irresponsible” citizens. Grigorian said they take advantage of the fact that the existing laws and regulations do not allow the authorities to fine them.
The mayor’s office moved to introduce such fines through a bill that was due to be debated by the Armenian parliament last month. The government withdrew the bill from the parliament agenda, saying that it needs to be amended. Avinian told Grigorian to speed up its passage.