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OPPOSITION DISSATISFIED WITH COMPOSITION OF MAYOR-ESTABLISHED COMMITTEE ON BUS FARE ISSUE, TO BOYCOTT ITS WORK
http://www.armenianow.com/society/48735/armenia_transport_bus_fare_rates
SOCIETY | 25.09.13 | 14:09
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The Yerevan municipality, on its official website, has posted the
mayor's decision on creating a transport commission and finally
introduced its 36-member structure, which has evoked negative
sentiments among the civil society and public discontent. Those who
have been actively protesting the increase of bus fare in the city of
Yerevan share their concerns that the commission might, nonetheless,
reinstate the mayor's earlier decision.
By the municipal decision the commission is supposed to consider the
transport fare issue in the city of Yerevan, define the criteria,
carry out necessary calculations, develop respective mechanisms and
submit suggestions to the mayor. The decisions will be made by an
open voting and pass by the majority of the participants' votes.
The standoff against the 12-cent increase of bus rates effective of
July 20 turned Yerevan into a united capital. Young civil activists
persistently fought and spread the spirit through the mini-buses
and buses from one end of the city to the other. People protested
by not paying the new price of 150 drams (37 cents), walking rather
than using transport, by carpooling - offering free rides on their
private vehicles. Five days later Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan
had instructed to create a commission of experts and interested
individuals who would develop all mechanisms in a few months' time,
that would allow completing the municipal decree "on reconsideration
of the intercity transportation fares in the city of Yerevan",
The mayor-promised commission is chaired by his deputy Vahe Nikolyan,
and the vice-chairman is the mayor's advisor. A number of municipality
department employees are its members, including head of the transport
department Henrik Navasardyan, whose resignation was among the demands
of the civil activists on sit-in strike for the past two months in
front of the city hall. The commission also has police officers,
employees of the transport and communication ministry, a number of
university and NGO representatives as its members.
Out of the three factions represented in the city council only
Republicans are part of the commission. The other two, Hello Yerevan
alliance and Prosperous Armenia (PAP), as well as "We Will Continue
Paying 100 Drams" civil initiative, have refused to be part of it. PAP
believes the issue had to be discussed in a public discussion format,
while Hello Yerevan defines the commission as a "show". The alliance
is currently appealing the mayor's July decision on raising the bus
fare by 50 percent.
The NGO representatives to be in the commission do not have positive
expectations about the outcome; however as Armen Poghosyan, president
of the Consumers' Union told ArmeniaNow, they have to "fight and
present" their argumentation.
"The power layout is not balanced in the commission, and since the
decision has to be made by voting, I cannot rule out that the fare
will again be increased," he says.
http://www.armenianow.com/society/48735/armenia_transport_bus_fare_rates
SOCIETY | 25.09.13 | 14:09
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
The Yerevan municipality, on its official website, has posted the
mayor's decision on creating a transport commission and finally
introduced its 36-member structure, which has evoked negative
sentiments among the civil society and public discontent. Those who
have been actively protesting the increase of bus fare in the city of
Yerevan share their concerns that the commission might, nonetheless,
reinstate the mayor's earlier decision.
By the municipal decision the commission is supposed to consider the
transport fare issue in the city of Yerevan, define the criteria,
carry out necessary calculations, develop respective mechanisms and
submit suggestions to the mayor. The decisions will be made by an
open voting and pass by the majority of the participants' votes.
The standoff against the 12-cent increase of bus rates effective of
July 20 turned Yerevan into a united capital. Young civil activists
persistently fought and spread the spirit through the mini-buses
and buses from one end of the city to the other. People protested
by not paying the new price of 150 drams (37 cents), walking rather
than using transport, by carpooling - offering free rides on their
private vehicles. Five days later Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan
had instructed to create a commission of experts and interested
individuals who would develop all mechanisms in a few months' time,
that would allow completing the municipal decree "on reconsideration
of the intercity transportation fares in the city of Yerevan",
The mayor-promised commission is chaired by his deputy Vahe Nikolyan,
and the vice-chairman is the mayor's advisor. A number of municipality
department employees are its members, including head of the transport
department Henrik Navasardyan, whose resignation was among the demands
of the civil activists on sit-in strike for the past two months in
front of the city hall. The commission also has police officers,
employees of the transport and communication ministry, a number of
university and NGO representatives as its members.
Out of the three factions represented in the city council only
Republicans are part of the commission. The other two, Hello Yerevan
alliance and Prosperous Armenia (PAP), as well as "We Will Continue
Paying 100 Drams" civil initiative, have refused to be part of it. PAP
believes the issue had to be discussed in a public discussion format,
while Hello Yerevan defines the commission as a "show". The alliance
is currently appealing the mayor's July decision on raising the bus
fare by 50 percent.
The NGO representatives to be in the commission do not have positive
expectations about the outcome; however as Armen Poghosyan, president
of the Consumers' Union told ArmeniaNow, they have to "fight and
present" their argumentation.
"The power layout is not balanced in the commission, and since the
decision has to be made by voting, I cannot rule out that the fare
will again be increased," he says.