New trolleybuses to run on Yerevan`s streets - mayor 

ArmInfo.  2 billion 138 million drams will be allocated for the purchase of 45 new YuTong trolleybuses and 104 elevators for the Yerevan City Hall. This was announced by RA Minister of Territorial Administration and  Infrastructure David Khudatyan at a regular meeting on September 18.   

According to the minister, the new trolleybuses will replace 30 LiAZ  trolleybuses, which have been in operation for over 18 years.

"Now, a 30% advance payment is proposed for the new 45 trolleybuses  (amounting to 1,297,890,000 drams - ed.)," Khudatyan noted.  Considering that the contract stipulates that the trolleybuses will  be delivered to the customer within six months, the remaining  contract amount will be accounted for in the 2026 budget year.

As stated in the explanatory note to the document, the Yerevan  trolleybus system currently operates both new Chinese Yutong and  Zhongtong trolleybuses, 30 of which were purchased with the Yerevan  community's own funds in 2023-2024, and older LiAZ models from  2007-2008. The company's balance sheet includes 15 faulty Skoda  trolleybuses from the 1980s and LiAZ trolleybuses from 2007-2008,  which have already been sold. The current 30 LiAZ trolleybuses, after  more than 18 years of service, are physically and morally worn out  and are only used due to the lack of alternatives. Not only is their  operation economically unviable, as they frequently break down due to  technical malfunctions, but in certain situations they can pose a  road safety risk. Overall, the Yerevan Municipality has requested 4  billion 326 million and 840 million drams, respectively, for the  purchase of 45 new YuTong trolleybuses and 104 elevators.

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, in turn, announced that the tender for  the purchase of trolleybuses had already been held. "We have already  purchased 30 trolleybuses. With government support, we are completely  updating our trolleybus fleet with 45 new trolleybuses. This means  that the city will no longer have old trolleybuses. The tender was  held a long time ago, and it was announced without funding. After the  funds are allocated, we expect that all 45 trolleybuses will be in  Yerevan in the first quarter of 2026, operating on the new lines. And  I want to express my special gratitude to you, Mr. Prime Minister,  because this is your initiative," Avinyan said.

The mayor also announced that 500 elevators are replaced annually in  the city. This year, again thanks to the government, 507 elevators  will be replaced, and in three years, "not a trace of the old fleet  will remain." Maintenance of the new elevators will be transferred to  the condominium, the mayor added.

Touching on the acquisition of trolleybuses, Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan emphasized that the tender was held based on the analysis  that trolleybuses, in particular, and electric transport in general,  could be very effective for Yerevan.

"Especially now, when we have developed very large amounts of solar  power and public transport operates mainly during the day,  trolleybuses are, by this logic, a very efficient means of transport.  We also discussed the possibility of considering the feasibility of  acquiring electric buses in the future, and it appears there is  mutual understanding on this matter," he noted.

Regarding the achievements of the Yerevan administration in recent  years, Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan reported that 87 12-meter buses,  562 8.6-meter buses, and 30 trolleybuses have been acquired, which,  when derailed, can travel an additional 60 km. "After these 45  purchases, we have two major rolling stock-related purchases:  18-meter buses. These 249 buses will replace our older Higgers, which  are already 15-16 years old. And given the analysis of the new  network, we'll need an additional 26 trolleybuses," Avinyan said,  emphasizing that the new rolling stock to be purchased must be  exclusively electric.