‘It Will Definitely Be Built’: Avinyan on the Construction of the New Metro Station

There are intentions to have dedicated bus lanes on the main streets of the capital, with design work likely to begin next year. Regarding the construction of a new metro station in Ajapnyak, Deputy Mayor Tigran Avinyan assures that this is not a project that should remain a dream for Yerevan; the comprehensive project will be ready next year, followed by construction work. He stated that 80-90% of the overall transport reform would be completed within 1-2 years.

In an interview with Armenpress, Avinyan provided details on these issues: “The current transport network serving Yerevan is not sufficient for service. The procurement of new buses will somewhat ease this burden,” he said, recalling the upcoming new shipments. However, the deputy mayor emphasized that buses alone are not a comprehensive transport solution. This entails, in addition to quality buses and their servicing, dedicated bus lanes on the city's main avenues, adapted bus stops, waiting areas, electronic timetables at stops, integration of the metro and other transport networks, and a unified ticketing system. All these components together create a comprehensive transport reform.

As for when the aforementioned components will be implemented, Avinyan stated, “In terms of importing buses and refurbishing the existing bus fleet, we should have resolved almost 90% of the issue by next year. Currently, we have announced a tender for a unified ticketing system. We are in the process of designing the Ajapnyak metro station. We have already held several discussions regarding dedicated bus lanes. I believe we will start design work next year. Various solutions will be introduced over different time periods. But generally, 80-90% of the full reform will be completed within 1-2 years, with only the metro station construction requiring at least 4 years.”

Integration of the metro and the remaining transport networks will begin next year. For many years, there has been talk of building a new metro station. Avinyan emphasized that only this year has a practical step been taken in this direction. He noted that there is skepticism among people regarding the construction of the Ajapnyak metro station. “It will definitely be built. We have already allocated approximately 750 million AMD for the project. We will have a comprehensive project by next year, and with governmental support, we will begin construction work,” reassured the deputy mayor. “Since 2018, we have implemented large-scale projects in terms of infrastructure. I assure you, the metro station is not a project that should remain a dream for Yerevan,” he said.

Addressing the periodic dismantling of illegal structures in the city and the question of whether all illegal buildings will be dismantled, Avinyan said, “We need to come to the objectives here. If we were to demolish all illegal structures indiscriminately, it would mean we are demolishing homes of people that are not registered.” The deputy mayor assured that priority is given to those structures that occupy public areas such as sidewalks and parks, which spoil the architectural appearance of the city. This applies equally to all administrative districts. The deputy mayor emphasized that public spaces, particularly green areas, will be returned to the community.

Avinyan noted that criticism is expected, but even those who operate these kiosks understand that sooner or later that day will come. “Those days have already come; public areas need to be cleared,” he stressed. For more details on Yerevan's festive lighting, the restoration work on historical and cultural heritage buildings expected in spring, upcoming municipal elections, allegations of beginning unofficial campaigns, and many other topics, see the full interview.