Citizens Will Not Be Fined for Technical Issues, Kostanyan Discusses Red Lines

Citizens wishing to pay for parking in red zones in Yerevan have been facing numerous issues since the introduction of changes on January 1. Many individuals trying to make payments through various applications are reporting difficulties on social media, stating that payments are not processing. It has also been noted that SMS messages are often not sent, or response messages are not received, which would confirm whether a payment was made. In some cases, a one-hour payment was successful after several attempts, but the confirmation message stated that the payment was made until January 1, 2025.

To clarify the nature of these technical issues and what citizens should do, Sputnik Armenia spoke with Hayk Kostanyan, the press secretary of the Yerevan Mayor.

“We are aware of the issue, but we are not currently offering just one method for payment; there are several options available until the other issues are resolved. Personally, I have seen several posts online and have responded to them. Currently, monthly and yearly payments can be made through bank transfers or banking applications, as well as through e-payment and easy pay systems. The technical issues with the Telcell wallet system have also been resolved, but it is still working at specific hours, and the company is working to fix the problems,” said Kostanyan.

According to him, at the moment, it is possible to make payments using 3-4 different methods, and all other technical issues might be resolved within a few days.

Addressing the issue of fines, Kostanyan emphasized that citizens who attempt to make payments in the near future but face technical issues will not be fined. “We will not try to immediately fine them 5,000 drams, but we will work to be lenient if the payment cannot be made due to technical issues,” stated the spokesperson for the Yerevan Mayor.

It is noteworthy that starting from January 1, citizens will pay 160,000 drams annually to park in the central red zone (Zone A) of the city. The fee for parking in Zone B is set at 24,000 drams annually.