Transport collapse in Yerevan: drivers on strike 

ArmInfo. The drivers of Yerevan  Bus CJSC refused to go on the routes this morning, December 3, demanding better working conditions. Thousands of Yerevan residents  found themselves in a difficult situation this morning, forced to  stand for hours at bus stops waiting for the rare buses that did not  join the strike. The situation was aggravated by the fact that,  against the backdrop of the lack of transport, taxi prices also  skyrocketed.

Against the backdrop of what was happening, the press secretary of  the Yerevan City Hall, Hayk Kostanyan, made a statement in which he  expressed outrage at the fact that bus drivers went on strike without  prior notice, which put tens of thousands of citizens rushing to work  in a difficult situation.

As Kostanyan explained, despite the reforms of the capital's  municipality and the resolution of labor issues, many drivers put  forward unreasonable demands, accompanied, in his words, by  manifestations of blackmail.

In this regard, he recalled that the net salary of MAN bus drivers  for 15 days per month excluding taxes is 401,500 drams, for Zhong  Tong bus drivers - 309,500 drams and for Gazelle City drivers -  219,500 drams.

Kostanyan also noted that according to the labor legislation of  Armenia, employees of urban public transport are required to notify  about a strike at least 14 days in advance and provide minimum  conditions to meet the urgent needs of society.

"As you know, over the past month we have had regular opportunities  to inform the public that in parallel with the introduction of a  single ticket system, shadow turnover has significantly decreased,  and this process will continue," the press secretary added.

Kostanyan then threatened the drivers with criminal cases, noting  that their actions will be assessed within the framework of labor  legislation. "The mayor's office will contact the relevant  authorities to conduct a criminal-legal assessment of their actions,"  he noted.

As ArmInfo previously wrote, the drivers say that they went on strike  due to improper working conditions and wage policy.

We will add that from January 1, 2025, new tariffs for travel on  public transport will be applied in the capital of Armenia. For a  single use in each vehicle, the cost of three trips will be 280-300  drams. From 880 to 900 drams for 1 day - 8 trips, 4800-5000 drams for  7 days - 30 trips. For an unlimited number of trips, the tariff will  be 8800-9000 drams for 30 days, 23,600-24,000 drams for 90 days,  88,000-90,000 drams for 365 days, a multiple-use ticket - 2100-2200  drams for 10 trips per month. Tariffs will apply to all types of  public transport.