Opposition: city transport fares raised for embezzlement

PanARMENIAN.Net - The leader of the "Mother Armenia" alliance, Andranik Tevanyan, criticized the ruling Civil Contract and Republic factions of the Yerevan City Council for boycotting a debate initiated by Mother Armenia on the new public transport fares.

"This is a clear act of desertion by Civil Contract. It shows they have no substantive arguments. The transport fare was raised, in the literal sense, for embezzlement. We can provide all the necessary justifications proving that the fare should be within 65 drams, or at worst, 92 drams," Tevanyan stated, as reported by Aravot.

He added that he was prepared to present his calculations, but representatives of the Civil Contract and Republic factions walked out of the meeting.

"They abandoned the session, which is highly symbolic. This is my first time entering this chamber, and the city authorities, it seems, do not exist—they have fled. You can guess why they are avoiding the debate. It proves they have no counterarguments. This is outright robbery of the citizens. People now have even more reasons to boycott public transport," Tevanyan said.

On February 11, the Yerevan City Council rejected the opposition's proposal to keep the single public transport fare at 100 drams. Since February 1, former mayor Hayk Marutyan, the Mother Armenia faction, and youth movements have protested against the fare increase, urging citizens to continue paying 100 drams. The city council approved the new 150-dram fare with 33 votes in favor, alongside plans for a unified ticketing system. Monthly, quarterly, and annual passes purchased between January 1 and February 28 will include an additional 30 days of validity.