Over 100 cultural figures have signed a joint statement urging people to boycott the public transport fare increase in Yerevan. Samvel Haroyan, secretary of the "Mother Armenia" faction in the Yerevan City Council, published the statement and the list of signatories on his Facebook page.

The statement was signed by over 100 figures from Armenia’s cultural sphere, including composers Martin Vardazaryan and Yervand Yerznkyan, singer Nersik Ispiryan, director Arthur Sahakyan, literary critic Karo Vardanyan, Union of Composers President Aram Satyan, director Zhirayr Dadayan, actress Arsine Navasardyan, Komitas expert Arthur Shahnazaryan, singer Aramo (Aram Gevorgyan), qanun player Hasmik Leyloyan, songwriter Sasun Paskevichyan, and others.

"Dear compatriots, due to decisions made by the Armenian authorities, citizens are facing serious social problems. Property tax has increased sharply, turnover tax has doubled, public transport fares in Yerevan are set to rise to 300 drams, garbage collection fees have gone up, and despite a court ruling, parking fees in ‘red zones’ remain high. People are also being forced to declare their income, adding another financial burden. Coupled with rising prices on essential goods, the social crisis is deepening.

We, the undersigned, call for a united fight against these anti-social measures, particularly the public transport fare hike. Starting February 1, we must boycott the fare increase by refusing to buy the new fare packages and not paying the increased price until the decision is reversed," the statement reads.

The petition remains open for new signatories.

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan announced that a new ticketing system will take effect on February 1, with fares set at 150 drams per ride, increasing by a maximum of 10 drams annually until 2025. Avinyan insists that fare adjustments are necessary to ensure stable and quality transport services, emphasizing that there will be no rollback on the decision. The "Mother Armenia" faction and former Mayor Hayk Marutyan’s team oppose the fare hike, proposing an alternative that would allow passengers to pay 100 drams for a single trip. Marutyan has called on citizens to protest the increase by paying only 100 drams and exiting the vehicle from February 1 onward.