Transport reforms intended to ensure purchase of 250 electric buses -  Yerevan mayor

ArmInfo. The reforms in the Yerevan transport sector have only one goal - to ensure the availability of a high-quality and stable system. This was stated by  the capital's mayor Tigran Avinyan at a meeting in the city hall on  January 27.

According to him, the introduction of a new transport system is a  rather complicated process. In this case, it is not just about  acquiring rolling stock or training drivers, but about the entire  accompanying infrastructure. The mayor noted that the new system  assumes the absence of problems in a few years, especially in terms  of wear and tear of vehicles.

"There were problems at almost all stages of the reforms, in  particular, during the period of introducing a cashless payment  system for travel, which led to bad consequences. For example,  drivers refused to go on city routes because cash payment was a  system very similar to drugs. Now the situation has changed, we have  offered drivers a good salary, health insurance, additional payment  for overtime work, payment for downtime, etc. In a word, we have  created all the necessary conditions for the driver to do his job -  drive a vehicle," Avinyan said.

He added that the introduction of the new transport system provides  opportunities for several trips for city residents. For example, they  will be able to use several routes to get to their destination in the  shortest possible time.

Avinyan criticized the actions of the opposition in the City Council  of Elders, which, according to the mayor, wants to return to cash  payments, thereby returning to the degraded system, which in its  essence carries corruption. "It would be possible to increase the  fare by only 50 drams - up to 150 drams, but this is wrong, this  cannot be considered a single ticket system, since it will be  impossible to purchase 250 new electric buses with its use. We  understand that tomorrow this issue will become a priority, and  therefore today we are already thinking about optimizing transport,"  the mayor emphasized, pointing out the importance of making the most  balanced decision through negotiations with the republican  authorities.

"Our task is to ensure that new vehicles are not worn out in 4 years,  so that in 7 years we can purchase new buses. We should not deviate  from the agenda of introducing a single ticket system," the mayor  said, adding that currently, a city dweller's fare costs 140-150  drams, and if the fare is left at the same level, in a few years  there will be no opportunity to purchase new buses, trolleybuses and  electric buses.

At the meeting, it was reported about the introduction of a GPS  system for monitoring public transport in Yerevan, with the use of  which it will be possible to more effectively manage traffic on the  streets of the capital.

From February 1, new tariffs for travel on public transport will be  applied in Yerevan. The average price of one trip will cost Yerevan  residents 300 drams instead of 100 drams currently. Former Yerevan  Mayor Hayk Marutyan previously called on city residents to boycott  the upcoming price increase and pay the same 100 drams.