Yerevan mayor says there will be no “return to 100 dram” public transport fares

YEREVAN, February 3. /ARKA/. There will be no return to 100-dram fare in Yerevan public transport; it is impossible, Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan said on Monday.

He rebuked opposition forces for seeking to “collapse the public transportation system.” “Different political forces have their own goals, and in my opinion, their main goal is not the issue of fare cost, but an attempt to bring the system to collapse, which has completely failed,” Avinyan said at a working meeting at City Hall, referring to the boycott of some Yerevan residents against the increased fares that came into force on February 1.

According to Avinyan, the transition to the single ticket system was difficult, but all these difficult stages were overcome.

“The attempt to bring the system to collapse failed,” the mayor stressed.

Since February 1, some passengers have been demonstratively putting 100- dram coins on the panel next to the driver when boarding the bus; some have been paying with a bank card or an app, and some have been boarding without paying.

On February 1, a unified fare payment system came into force in Yerevan, which abolished cash on buses, trolleybuses and the metro. There are several payment options - paper tickets with a QR code (via TelCell terminals), the TelCell Wallet mobile application, bank cards and permanent plastic travel cards. 

The following tariff packages are available:

* 150 AMD - 1 trip

* 280 (300) AMD - "90 minutes" package / 3 trips

* 1500 AMD - "Multi" package / 10 trips

* 880 (900) AMD - for 1 day / 8 trips

* 4800 (5000) AMD - for 7 days / 30 trips

* 8800 (9000) AMD - for 30 days + one more month / unlimited.

* 23600 (24000) AMD - for 90 days + one more month / unlimited

* 88000 (90000) AMD - for 365 days + one more month / unlimited

* 480 (500) AMD - to Zvartnots airport / 1 trip. -0-