Don’t pay 50 drams — walk: Simonyan’s scandalous statement on fare hike

I believe that transport should become even more expensive. This was stated on September 16 by Alen Simonyan, Secretary of the Security Council, in a conversation with journalists, responding to accusations that he himself had previously protested against raising fares above 100 drams, whereas the fare now stands at 150 drams.

According to him, comparing today’s public transport to the old system is incorrect, since the quality of service has changed radically, and comfort has to be paid for. The official assured reporters that he himself regularly encounters the same road problems as other city residents.

“Are the buses of today and the old ‘RAF’ minivans, whose doors you held shut by hand and where you rode crouching, the same thing? When you use a good microphone — if you were given a small, bad one, would you use it? You paid more for this one; six years ago you had a different microphone, so go on using that same microphone. Or you changed your glasses — why did you change them, you should have come in worse glasses, six years ago you had different glasses. This is demagoguery. Yes, fares should be more expensive so that quality can be good, because you can’t have a clean bus with a non-smoking driver and have it cost very little. But no, people say: ‘I won’t pay those 50 drams, it’s a matter of principle.’ Then don’t pay — walk,” Simonyan said.