Yerevan commuters now fined for fare evasion – even those who paid

Yerevan transport fare evasion fine

In Armenia’s capital, 252 passengers have already been fined for failing to pay for public transport. According to Yerevan city hall, 145 people were penalised for not paying their fare, 34 for using a concession card issued to someone else, and 73 for paying only after inspectors caught them travelling without a ticket.

Ticket checks on buses and minibuses began on 5 August and are being carried out by 47 inspectors from the city’s public order service.

Reactions among Yerevan residents are mixed. Some see inspections and fines as necessary, while others are unhappy about the introduction of controls on public transport. City hall insists the aim is to ensure people pay for the service they use and “travel legally around the city.”

Those who travel without paying face a fine of 10,000 drams ($26). Using a concession card belonging to another person carries a fine of 15,000 drams ($39). Passengers who pay their fare only after being caught by inspectors are fined 3,000 drams ($7.80).

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Yerevan mayor speaks with passengers

The capital’s mayor, Tigran Avinyan, spent time today talking with commuters on public transport. He later posted a video on his Facebook page answering their questions. Passengers asked about planned measures to improve the transport system, discussed payment methods and raised issues over the current discount scheme for concession groups.

“Transport is not a charity”

Inspectors are using special devices to check whether passengers have paid their fares and to detect cases where a concession card issued to someone else has been used.

Factor TV filmed one of the inspections. Among those caught without tickets were passengers who blamed their fare-dodging on poor service, while others insisted they had paid, though the device showed no record of payment.

Avetik Babayan, acting head of the city’s public order service, said public transport was “not a charity” and urged passengers to pay for the service.

“The inspections are large-scale, there are no set hours when they take place. Checks will be permanent,” he warned.

Yerevan launches public transport checks, fare dodgers to be fined

City Hall warns that the fine for riding without a ticket is 10,000 drams ($26), and 15,000 drams ($39) if a discounted ticket is used by someone else.

Passenger must prove they paid – but that’s not always possible

In Yerevan, passengers can pay for public transport with a travel card, a bank card, or through the Telcell mobile app using a QR code.

The problem is that when using the app, the electronic ticket (QR code) is not saved. This means inspectors cannot always verify payment with their devices unless the passenger has taken a screenshot.

“In cases where the QR code doesn’t appear in the app, the data is sent from Yerevan’s Technology Management Centre,” Avetik Babayan reassured passengers.

Complaint from a passenger who says she paid but was fined

Karine Grigoryan told Radio Azatutyun that she paid with her bank card but was fined as if she hadn’t.

“The inspector took my card, checked it, saw that I had paid. But maybe because he was filming, or wasn’t in the mood, he said: ‘You haven’t paid.’ He photographed me. I told him he had no right to do that, because I had paid.”

After the incident, she contacted her bank and received a statement showing two fare payments: one at 14:40, and another 10 minutes later.

Asked about the case, Yerevan city hall said there may have been a technical problem and promised to look into it.

“The era of free rides is coming to an end,” says Yerevan Mayor

Armenia’s parliament has approved a bill introducing a fine of approximately $40 for fare evasion on public transport—despite the fact that a single ticket costs just 40 cents

Comments

Journalist Hakob Karapetyan commented on Facebook about the case of a passenger fined despite paying her fare:

“Inspectors board a bus, check tickets and fine a woman who only minutes earlier had paid at a terminal. On top of that, they film her without consent. Imagine the stress this causes, how offensive it is. Fortunately, in this case the passenger was persistent, obtained proof of payment from her bank and contacted journalists.”

Political analyst Hakob Badalyan pointed out that inspectors are working without uniforms:

“Watching the videos online of these so-called inspectors, the impression is that citizens today are treated not only as ‘material’ for fines but also as people to be disrespected.

The lack of respect comes not only from city hall, but also from parliament. It was parliament that passed the law authorising these checks. The body that supposedly represents the public did not consider it necessary to legislate not only the scope of inspectors’ powers but also how they should interact with citizens — both in terms of behaviour and uniforms.

Anyone empowered to check passengers, fine them and even identify them should carry out those functions in proper uniform and clearly introduce themselves. Yet from these videos, it looks as if a bunch of ‘guys from the neighbourhood’ decided to start policing public transport.”

Yerevan's transport reform: What's changing and why it’s stirring discontent

In Armenia’s capital, old “marshrutkas” have been replaced with new buses, and a unified ticketing system is being introduced for all types of transport. The city administration plans to continue the reforms.

Yerevan transport fare evasion fine