Yerevan's transport reform: What's changing and why it’s stirring discontent
Yerevan’s transport reform enforced
Yerevan’s transport reform entered an active phase last year despite heated debates. Efforts to modernize the public transport fleet, which began a couple of years ago, accelerated significantly in 2024. Outdated minibuses, known locally as “marshrutkas,” disappeared from the streets, replaced by new, more comfortable buses and trolleybuses.
In late 2024, the city also began introducing a unified ticketing system. Officials had warned that single-ride fares would increase, but Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan assured the public that passengers using monthly or yearly passes—and traveling frequently—would benefit from lower per-ride costs compared to previous rates.
Although the fare hike was originally scheduled for January 2025, it was postponed until February.
The reform, however, has sparked discontent among residents, particularly those accustomed to paying drivers directly, as they had in the past. Drivers themselves have voiced dissatisfaction, demanding higher wages and better working conditions since late 2024.
Here’s everything you need to know about navigating public transport in Yerevan, along with passengers’ and drivers’ views on the long-debated transport reform.
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Key information for passengers: Fares, discounts, and free travel
Starting February 1, a 30-day pass will cost 8,800 drams ($22), a 90-day pass 23,600 drams ($60), and an annual pass 88,000 drams ($224). Pass holders will enjoy unlimited rides. A single-day ticket, valid for 90 minutes from activation, will cost 300 drams (76 cents) or 280 drams (71 cents) if purchased through the TelCell electronic system.
Students will receive a 15% discount, while schoolchildren and social welfare recipients will get 20%, and pensioners 30%. Free travel will be available for children under 7, orphaned schoolchildren aged 8–18, orphaned students, individuals with first- and second-degree disabilities, children in orphanages, residents of nursing homes, national heroes, and parents with four or more children.
The city has introduced special transport cards that can be loaded with the desired ticket package, including those for discounted categories. Passengers can also pay with their bank cards by registering them in the electronic transport system. This registration allows access to any ticket package and can be done independently on the transport.yerevan.am website or with assistance from the city’s information service staff.
Yerevan’s transport reform’s progress
Until February, fares will remain unchanged: 100 drams (25 cents) for buses and the metro, and 50 drams (12 cents) for trolleybuses. These long-standing rates have been familiar to Yerevan residents for decades.
The transition to a unified payment system has been gradual. Initially, bus fares could only be paid through special machines that accepted 100-dram coins, eliminating the previous option to pay drivers directly.
Later, QR tickets were introduced, along with an announcement that bank cards would soon be accepted. However, this feature only became fully operational this week.
Many Yerevan residents are still adjusting to the fact that cash payments are no longer possible. As of January 1, coin-accepting devices have been sealed, and the system now operates exclusively through electronic payments.
The city administration has framed this shift to cashless payments as part of a “fight against the shadow economy.” Deputy Mayor Suren Grigoryan revealed that before November 1, when drivers were still allowed to collect cash fares, daily revenue averaged 30–31 million drams ($75,000–$80,000). After the ban, revenue increased to 35 million drams ($90,000).
“The increase isn’t because more people are using public transport. Drivers were simply part of the shadow economy,” he explained.
Drivers’ strike
Unlike the quieter protest from passengers, who have mostly expressed their dissatisfaction on social media, bus drivers took a more direct approach by staging a strike. On December 3, some drivers from the city’s bus fleet refused to report to work, disrupting the usual transport schedule. Their demands included a review of wages and working conditions.
In response, the city administration issued a statement reminding drivers that, under the law, they were required to give 14 days’ notice before a strike, which they had failed to do. As a result, 32 drivers were dismissed. However, within a few days, the dismissed employees were allowed to return to their jobs.
City officials also warned drivers that, according to labour laws, they are “obligated to ensure minimum services necessary to meet the urgent needs of society during a strike.”
“By day’s end, we’re so stressed we can’t sleep at night”
Atom Terteryan, one of the drivers who took part in the strike, believes that the reforms must also address drivers’ salaries and working conditions.
“Our work starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends around midnight. Driving such large vehicles in Yerevan is both challenging and risky. The salary doesn’t reflect the effort. Some days, the stress builds up so much that we can’t sleep at night or calm our nerves,” Terteryan explains.
He acknowledges that salaries have increased in recent years but points out that the cost of living has risen as well:
“Dealing with people is incredibly hard. Passengers have different moods and manners. Some board the bus just to provoke conflicts. You need to stay focused and know how to handle each situation. If it’s so simple, why are there still vacancies for the drivers who were dismissed?”
Last year, Terteryan visited Europe and paid close attention to the working conditions of drivers:
“If we had the same conditions, there would be no reason to complain about salaries. Before every shift, they get a half-hour break in a special lounge with sofas and drinks. They can eat properly, store and heat food. Most importantly, they have access to toilets and changing rooms.
We don’t have any of that. And we’re paid about $500. After subtracting the cost of commuting to and from work and buying food, I’m left with $200–$300.”
Unlike some of his colleagues, Terteryan is more concerned about improving working conditions:
“As you get older, it’s harder to tolerate discomfort. You want to work in decent conditions, be able to call home to check on your family. I can’t do that during a shift, and there’s barely any time between runs.”
The city administration disclosed the salaries of drivers based on the type of vehicle they operate. Drivers of MAN buses earn 401,500 drams ($1,021), Zhong Tong bus drivers receive 309,500 drams ($787), and Gazel City minibus drivers are paid 219,500 drams ($558). These figures represent net pay after taxes. Drivers work 15 days per month.
Passenger’s perspective on transport reform
Galya Simonyan, 68, works at a printing house and needs to be there by 9 a.m. Living on the outskirts of Yerevan, she leaves her house an hour and twenty minutes earlier to get to work.
In December, she had to leave ten minutes earlier to buy a ticket from a TelCell machine. She notes that there are often queues at the machines during morning hours:
“You know, I’m someone who understands the value of every change. It’s not that I’m unhappy. But they should have ensured everything was in place before switching to cashless payments. For example, I’d prefer to pay with my bank card. They say that’s possible now, but just a few days ago, it still wasn’t working.”
Galya has noticed that drivers have become more attentive since they no longer need to collect cash fares, but now they don’t monitor whether passengers pay at all:
“I’ve seen several passengers use an already-scanned ticket. The machine doesn’t respond, there’s no payment sound. I notify the driver, but he says, ‘What can I do? I’m not going to walk through the bus and check tickets.’ Drivers also complain about the management and the reforms. I think it’s because they can no longer pocket cash payments from passengers.”
Galya isn’t upset about the fare increase starting in February:
“It’s obvious that public transport fares can’t stay the same for decades. The time has come. I’ve looked at the new rates. They’ve raised them significantly. I think they should have started with 150 drams (38 cents) for short trips and 200 drams (50 cents) for longer ones. For example, paying 200 drams for the long ride from my house to the printing house is reasonable. But for short trips within the same area, they should have kept it at 100 drams (25 cents) or raised it to 150 at most.”
She offers restrained criticism of the city authorities, saying her main demand is a decent level of service:
“What matters is how drivers treat passengers. Buses should be clean, have ventilation, and working air conditioning. Sticking to a schedule is very important. In the mornings and evenings, the transport is more or less on time, but in the afternoon, you might wait over an hour for the right bus to show up.
Transport should run every twenty minutes regardless of passenger flow. And if they add real-time tracking at bus stops, then we could truly call this a reform.”
