Parking Fee Increase Will Lead to Social Stratification, Says Manuk Sukiasyan

The aim of our budget is not to increase collections, but to alleviate congestion in the small center. This was stated by Deputy Mayor Suren Grigoryan during a discussion on the increase of parking fees in Yerevan on December 1.

The head of the Yerevan City Council's Mother Armenia faction, Manuk Sukiasyan, noted: "The promised unified ticketing system does not exist, the expansion of the metro network is lacking, the new batch of buses will only be available at best in the summer, and even if we flood the entire city with buses, the capacity of our streets does not allow that much transport to move, especially with the numerous permits for the construction of new buildings. I mentioned a number of components, and now we are only talking about one, which will only cause social stratification. There will be no problem for those who can afford to enter the center, while others, for example, those coming from Nor Nork, will have to stop their cars near a zoo; and what will they do next?" he asked, suggesting that above-ground and underground parking could alleviate street congestion.

It is noteworthy that the Yerevan Municipality intends to sharply increase parking fees. Starting from January 1, 2024, the cost of parking in red zones in the center of Yerevan will rise from 12,000 drams per year to 160,000 drams. The project has been put up for public discussion.