Yerevan Municipality embarks on a new project of modernizing the transportation system in the city. In a press conference held on February 2, Deputy Mayor Vahe Nikoyan lays out the details of the plan.
What you need to know
– 939 buses and 111 trolleys. According to the Deputy Mayor, this is enough to service the planned 42 routes that will cover the whole territory of Yerevan.
– Out with the old, in with the new. The new network was drafted on the principle of minibus (marshutka) exclusion. All vehicles will comply with safety standards, requirements of comfort and needs of people with mobility issues.
– No “route owner.” All management of the network will be taken over by one central body. The phenomenon of “transportation route owner” will disappear. Currently in Armenia, current bus routes are mostly owned by representatives of Armenia’s ruling elite or by individuals closely related to them.
– Jobs. No job cuts are expected.
– Prices. According the Deputy Mayor Nikoyan, the price of transport will remain the same. “This process will be open and transparent. We’ll stick to the fundamental principle that a person pays once to get to a destination regardless of the number of buses or trolleys he or she takes,” he said.
– Public survey. The municipality will conduct a public opinion survey on the expectations and demands of the population from drivers. If the question of age is viewed as an issue, it may also be included in the safety standards section.
Alina Nikoghosyan, Syuzanna Petrosyan
