Yesterday, I was in the fixed-run minibus number 8 (which, by the way, did not have a note saying AMD 130) and paid 150 AMD but the driver did not give me the change of AMD 20. Naturally, I felt shame at arguing with him for AMD 20.
I can allow myself not to squabble with the drivers, but there are people, for whom this 20 drams is vital, and this uncertain 130 drams is going to create unnecessary tension among our citizens. The price rise of fixed-run minibuses, in general, is an immoral step people whose income is 15-20 thousand drams, and the loss of additional 2-3 thousand drams per month is substantial for their family budget. There are prices that cannot be increased in these social conditions. It’s one thing when the price of the VIP service “Limuzin” per hour is increased, or the trout served in a luxurious restaurant. The bread or fixed-run minibuses are another thing. The latter does not have an alternative, the buses “cover up” the minor part of minibuses, a resident of millionth city cannot do without using public transportation. With regard to increase of transport fare, free but responsible TV companies vent all their anger on the Mayor. This, of course, is a ‘permitted’ courage.
The mayor is not the President of Armenia, nor the Minister of Defense, he can be criticized on the air, Armen Gevorgyan will not call him to the presidency because of that and will not give him a “severe reprimand”. And, objectively the City Hall has its own share of the blame, because it did not refuse the owners who applied with the issue of increasing the prices.
But the most important thing is why it did not refuse. Because, the business of fixed-run minibuses is one of the most profitable businesses in Armenia, and the ‘lines owners’ are not random people, the ministers, generals, deputies and oligarchs do not avoid to be engaged in this business. And so the whole “elite”, probably thinking that they do not ‘squeeze’ too much income from the route lines, decided to become a little bit richer at the expense of the pensioners. The City Hall cannot refuse the claim of such influential people.
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Consequently, the problem, as it is accepted to say, is “systematic.” In fact, it is well understood by our fellow citizens. In the same minibus, an elderly man told me,- “Ay, we so complain about how bad they are. In reality, we are bad, because we give this 30 drams to them.”
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
12.08.2005
