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YEREVAN MAYOR TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS FARE HIKES, BUT CLAIMS INCREASES ARE "UNAVOIDABLE"
18:41, July 25, 2013
About one hour ago Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan issued a statement
saying that he would temporarily halt the transit fare hikes that
have set off several days of noisy street protests.
The statement is somewhat contradictory given that Margaryan continues
to claim that the 50% hikes for buses, minivans and trolleybuses is
a necessity in order to improve public transportation.
Margaryan says that he has followed the protests of young activists
and is pleased to see that people are coming together in a spirit
of help and cooperation. He also notes with sadness, however, the
defamatory and denigrating behaviour of some towards transit drivers.
Yerevan's mayor says that he and his team worked long and hard to
come up with an acceptable solution to the transportation problem in
Yerevan and that this is why fares haven't been increased up till now.
Margaryan admits that a few months ago he was under the impression
that the fares could be maintained but that market price increases
directly tied to the transit sector made such a desire impossible.
He says that permitting the fare hikes was a very difficult decision
for him to make, but that as mayor, he cannot avoid such difficult
decisions.
Margaryan also admits that the fare hike burden cannot be levied
on those sectors of society - seniors, students, and the needy -
and that, in this regard, the municipality is working on a system of
discounts that will take one year to craft and install.
His statement ends with a call for all Yerevan residents to unite in
the name of a better city.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/28372/yerevan-mayor-temporarily-suspends-fare-hikes-but-claims-increases-are-unavoidable.html
18:41, July 25, 2013
About one hour ago Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan issued a statement
saying that he would temporarily halt the transit fare hikes that
have set off several days of noisy street protests.
The statement is somewhat contradictory given that Margaryan continues
to claim that the 50% hikes for buses, minivans and trolleybuses is
a necessity in order to improve public transportation.
Margaryan says that he has followed the protests of young activists
and is pleased to see that people are coming together in a spirit
of help and cooperation. He also notes with sadness, however, the
defamatory and denigrating behaviour of some towards transit drivers.
Yerevan's mayor says that he and his team worked long and hard to
come up with an acceptable solution to the transportation problem in
Yerevan and that this is why fares haven't been increased up till now.
Margaryan admits that a few months ago he was under the impression
that the fares could be maintained but that market price increases
directly tied to the transit sector made such a desire impossible.
He says that permitting the fare hikes was a very difficult decision
for him to make, but that as mayor, he cannot avoid such difficult
decisions.
Margaryan also admits that the fare hike burden cannot be levied
on those sectors of society - seniors, students, and the needy -
and that, in this regard, the municipality is working on a system of
discounts that will take one year to craft and install.
His statement ends with a call for all Yerevan residents to unite in
the name of a better city.
http://hetq.am/eng/news/28372/yerevan-mayor-temporarily-suspends-fare-hikes-but-claims-increases-are-unavoidable.html