Why Yerevan Municipality Dismissed Over 30 Bus Drivers

According to the newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak, the Yerevan Municipality has announced that 31 public transport drivers have been dismissed over the past 100 days.

Hovhannes Manukyan, director of the Yerevan Buses company, discussed the reasons for the drivers' dismissals with Haykakan Zhamanak, stating that the main reasons include smoking while driving, improper behavior towards citizens, periodic traffic violations, and other service-related issues.

“Passengers have complained, and we have checked the bus drivers, which proved to be accurate, leading to their dismissal. It is true that there will be people among the citizens who do not behave well as passengers, but a driver, if working in the service sector, must maintain composure. If, for example, they do not know how to communicate, they should learn or refrain from speaking,” emphasized Manukyan.

When asked if the number of dismissed drivers suggests that such incidents are frequent, a representative of the city government stated that one could not find a smoking driver even with careful searching. “If one happens to be found, they, too, will leave their job,” he added. For the last 14 days, drivers from “Zhong-Tong” have received 320,000 drams, and “MAN” drivers have received 420,000 drams in salary and are expected to ensure quality service.

According to Hovhannes Manukyan, the organization does not face difficulties in finding new drivers. “Rest assured, we currently have about 1,200 drivers, and dismissing some does not affect the organization. We have more than 100 drivers waiting in line who are eager to work. I even approached the municipality for a training bus because we have very few young drivers. They have issues obtaining category D licenses. I want us to train them how to drive a bus and how to provide service,” he said.

When asked about the criteria for accepting new drivers, Manukyan emphasized that they are very meticulous. “First of all, they should be tidy, calm, and stable in their psyche, as they transport a large number of people. When I joined the organization, there were many unshaven drivers; now you won’t find such a driver. We even have a driver who needs dental work, and I told him to go and fix it. Many drivers have told me that since your arrival, we have become respectable drivers because their appearance has changed,” he concluded.