THE DEPUTY MAYOR IS POWERLESS

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[03:03 pm] 25 September, 2006

Although Yerevan deputy mayor Slava Avanesyan tried to represent
the situation of transport in Yerevan enumerating how many buses
have been imported and will be imported, how many bus stops will be
reconstructed, and how much money will be allotted for the repairing
of buses, he did not manage to avoid the anxious questions which the
journalists poured on him during the usual Monday briefing.

The journalists were interested why the buses and trolley-buses with
a fare of 50 or 70 AMD are almost empty and the micro buses are always
full people.

There are even cases when bus routes have been closed down. In
particular, one of the drivers of bus N 62 said that the reason was
the owner of one of the microbus routes who threatened him not to
"take away" the passengers.

Mr. Avanesyan was well aware of the phenomenon. He said he has even
complained of it and has even named some of the owners of the routes
asking to impose sanctions on them, but all his efforts have resulted
fruitless.

With a powerless expression on his face, Slava Avanesyan asked the
journalists to help him to punish those who exceed their authorities.