‘100 Dram’ Protest Anniversary: One year on, Yerevan authorities sti

‘100 Dram’ Protest Anniversary: One year on, Yerevan authorities still
mull bus fare rise option

SOCIETY | 21.07.14 | 15:59

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow

By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

A year after public protests and success by civil activists to stop
the rise in public transport fares the Yerevan municipality is taking
new steps – introducing a bill of differentiated price rises.

Whereas last year that decision was that all means of transportation
in the capital would change from 100 AMD to 150 AMD (from about 25
cents to 37.5 cents), now the government discusses a few versions –
100, 150, 200 AMD (about 25, 37.5 and 50 cents respectively) bus
fares, which will be conditioned by the quality of service.

Last year the Yerevan Mayor’s Office had to yield to young activists’
pressure as tens of thousands of citizens followed their example and
continued paying the previous price for public transport – 100 AMD.
Mayor Taron Margaryan created a new committee which suggested having
public transport of different prices for different quality services.

Committee President, Yerevan Deputy Mayor Vahe Nikoyan told RFE/RL’s
Armenian Service last week that during the discussion there was an
agreement that establishing different prices is the best option which
will solve the problem of socially vulnerable groups – they will be
enabled to use the less expensive means of public transportation.

“Now those who have 100, will use the 100’s service (conditionally
speaking), someone else will use some other service.”

However, Davis Sanasaryanm an opposition member of the Yerevan City
Council (Barev Yerevan faction) considers it to be an unacceptable
approach.

“If they do such a thing and want to create layers in the public, all
the layers they have in mind must fight together against this price
rise,” Sanasaryan told tert.am emphasizing that thus the government
triggers everyone’s rage.

An active member of last year’s transport price rise fight, Helena
Melkonyan gives assurances that if transport prices increase they will
urge the public, this time even with a bigger wave, not to pay.

“These mass price increases that will follow the electricity price
rise, the pension reform, plus transport price rise will bring the
opposite effect – inevitable mass protests will start.”

Civil activists plan to hold another protest in the city this Friday
to remind to the authorities that the public, under the second point
of the Constitution, in Armenia the government belongs to the public.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress