Let's Sit Straight and Talk Clearly: Tunyans on Transport Pricing

The Deputy Chairman of the Economic Affairs Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Babken Tunyans, wrote on his social media page: "An honest conversation about transport pricing. Dear compatriots, let's 'sit straight and talk clearly.' I know that one of the most enjoyable things is to criticize the authorities, and there is always something to criticize.

On one hand, you can criticize for not doing enough or insufficient efforts (from building roads to the amounts of salaries and pensions), and on the other hand, when the state tries to generate resources for those things, you can also criticize taxes, various fees, or the involvement of public debt.

It's normal; all authorities have been criticized at all times. I do not expect unanimous agreement with my statements, but I ask you to try to approach the issue impartially and without unnecessary emotionality. Regardless of political views, regardless of attitudes towards specific individuals or institutions, let’s try to analyze the situation concerning transport in Yerevan together.

This might be lengthy; surely you could use the time on more pleasant pursuits, but I request that you don't shy away from reading this. The topic is important, and it matters for us to understand your opinion and for you to feel understood.

So, in your opinion, who is most interested in having a high-quality transport system in Yerevan WITHOUT changing the fare? Naturally, we do not consider the direct beneficiary - the passenger.

Is it the opposition, some public figures, or, say, the former mayor Hayk Marutyan? God forbid! The most interested party is the city authorities. They are the ones most wanting modern public transport that operates as precisely as a clock, with new, technologically equipped vehicles, professional and civil drivers, and without requiring additional costs.

In order for such significant progress to be registered during their term, people must be satisfied and give them their vote again in the next elections. But why don’t they do it without revising fares? Do they not want to be reelected? Perhaps they don’t want to, and are intentionally leading to a situation where residents complain, grumble, and do not vote for them next time?

Do they enjoy collecting more money from people, or do those funds go into their pockets? No, no, and once again, no. The reason is clear, and everyone knows about it, including Hayk Marutyan and others calling for a boycott of the new fare system starting February 1, jeopardizing the operation of the city transport. It is impossible to have a normal transport system without fare revision.

Everything has become more expensive in the last 10-15 years; fuel and spare parts have doubled in price, and wages have increased. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the fare. It is simply impossible to maintain the current fleet for 100 drams, not to mention updating it."