Yerevan residents continue boycott of new public transport fares

YEREVAN, February 3. /ARKA/. Some Yerevan residents continued today to boycott the increase in public transport fares, which has been in effect for the third day.
A correspondent for the Novosti-Armenia news agency witnessed some passengers placing 100-dram coins on the panel next to the driver, some paying with a bank card or through an app, and some getting on board without paying.
“Not only bus fares have gone up, but also the metro fares. Has the metro been expanded? Maybe they bought new trains?” one of the passengers said indignantly.
The activists include members of the opposition faction in the City Council of Elders, Mother Armenia, as well as former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan and his supporters. They are calling on citizens to use transport either at the old rate or ride for free.
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-