Taxi drivers protest outside government building

Taxi drivers in Yerevan are holding a protest outside the government building.

“About 120,000 drivers are registered in the online sector, of whom around 40,000 work 12-hour shifts. Drivers pay taxes, but they are not considered registered employees and are excluded from the Universal Health Insurance Fund, meaning they have no access to free medical care,” noted one of the protesters.

The protesters put forward the following demands: make this sector regulated and protect drivers’ rights, change the high commission rate for online taxi operators, demanding a reduction of 10% from the current 22–31% (which includes taxes), ensure that drivers earning more than 200,000 drams and paying taxes are recognized as registered employees, so they can receive higher pensions in the future and become beneficiaries of the Universal Health Insurance Fund.