A statement by Yerevan Deputy Mayor Suren Grigoryan has sparked widespread debate in Armenia. He said that one of the city administration’s strategic goals was to create car parks at the entrances to Yerevan, where drivers arriving from other regions could leave their vehicles and continue their journeys by public transport.

The proposal has prompted heated discussions among both experts and residents.

Traffic experts suggest increasing parking fees in the capital rather than restricting vehicle access. Meanwhile, residents have raised concerns that the initiative could limit freedom of movement and lead to discriminatory measures.

People are also questioning how they would navigate Yerevan using public transport if travelling with young children or elderly relatives, or bringing a family member to the capital for medical treatment.

What else did deputy mayor say?

Deputy Mayor Suren Grigoryan said the city administration had no plans to introduce restrictions immediately. He explained that creating car parks and expanding the public transport fleet would take time. Grigoryan did not specify when a possible ban on cars from other regions entering Yerevan might come into force.

According to him, the number of cars in Armenia has doubled from 500,000 in 2014 to one million. Meanwhile, the number of vehicles in Yerevan is increasing by around 15,000 or more each year.

The deputy mayor also addressed plans to purchase new vehicles for public transport. He said the city planned to acquire 171 new buses in the near future.

However, Grigoryan acknowledged that he could not say with certainty whether all residents of Armenia’s regions would be able to switch from private cars to public transport.

Clarifications following statement

Following a wave of outrage on social media, the deputy mayor issued further clarifications. He stressed that he had been referring not to a measure that would be introduced immediately, but to a strategic goal that would be implemented gradually.

“There has been a misunderstanding. Some citizens assumed that vehicles from the regions would be banned from entering Yerevan. I said nothing of the sort,” Suren Grigoryan emphasised.

He attributed the confusion to the headline of his interview:

“It had nothing to do with the actual content of the interview. This is a clear example of what happens when people judge a news story solely by its headline.”

Expert opinion

Traffic expert Artak Gaboyan believes that banning private cars from Armenia’s regions from entering the capital would make little sense:

“Nowhere in the world do authorities simply tell people they are banned from entering a city. Instead, they create conditions that make leaving a car outside the city a more convenient and financially attractive option.”

To ease congestion in central Yerevan, Gaboyan suggests increasing parking fees to 1,000 drams ($2.60) per hour, roughly three times the current rate.

“In addition, free shuttle buses should operate near the car parks [at the entrances to the city], taking drivers to the nearest transport hub, metro station or interchange where they can transfer to regular public transport services heading in different directions,” he explained.

Gaboyan also believes that implementing his proposal would require ensuring the “uninterrupted movement of public transport”.

As an example, he cited Isakov Avenue, one of the capital’s busiest roads, where one lane is reserved exclusively for public transport.

Social media reactions

“Are you now dividing society into Yerevan residents and people from the regions? How long will you continue dividing society? Instead, ease congestion in the capital and sort out the traffic problems.”

“This violates people’s right to freedom of movement. The current city administration has already made life unbearable for us.”

“And what about the fact that many people are simply too lazy to travel one or two stops by public transport and prefer to use their own cars?”

“We come to Yerevan with small children and loads of bags. How does he expect us to get around on public transport?”

“Why not simply ban people from the regions from entering Yerevan unless they carry an ID card, an income declaration, a CV and at least three letters of recommendation? And then, why not require people from the regions to obtain police permission before leaving their villages?”

“The deputy mayor could start setting an example today: take public transport home, use it to get to work tomorrow, take his children to school and then go to the doctor. All by public transport. In short, let him try living like that for at least a week, and then we’ll see.”

“According to the deputy mayor, implementing this idea would require building car parks at the entrances to the capital and introducing dedicated public transport lanes. Given that over the past eight years the city administration has made no progress beyond a single dedicated lane on one avenue — failing to establish a proper network of such lanes or make progress in expanding the metro system — expecting them to resolve the issue of restricting cars from the regions from entering Yerevan is simply wishful thinking.”