passengers traveling in Yerevan now face fines for fare evasion, regardless of whether they have paid the fare or not

In the heart of Armenia's capital, Yerevan, a new initiative to ensure public transport users pay for their journeys has sparked debate and confusion. Ticket checks on buses and minibuses, carried out by 47 inspectors from the city's public order service, began on August 5.

Passengers can pay for their travel using a variety of methods, including a travel card, a bank card, or the Telcell mobile app using a QR code. However, a common issue arising is the lack of saved QR codes within the Telcell app, making it challenging for inspectors to verify payments using their devices. This has led to situations where passengers, like Karine Grigoryan, have been fined despite having paid their fares.

Grigoryan claimed she was fined despite paying with her bank card, and her bank statement showed two fare payments: one at 14:40, and another 10 minutes later. Yet, the inspector took her card, checked it, and saw the payment, but still issued a fine. Yerevan city hall acknowledged there might have been a technical problem in Grigoryan's case and promised to look into it.

Political analyst Hakob Badalyan criticized the parliament for not legislating the inspectors' powers and how they should interact with citizens. He pointed out that inspectors are working without uniforms, suggesting a lack of respect towards citizens. Another analyst, who expressed this concern on social media, has not been named in the available search results.

Avetik Babayan, acting head of the city's public order service, stated that public transport is "not a charity" and urged passengers to pay for the service. He reassured passengers that if the QR code doesn't appear in the app, the data is sent from Yerevan's Technology Management Centre.

Not all passengers are at fault, with some blaming their fare-dodging on poor service, while others insist they had paid, though the device showed no record of payment. Journalist Hakob Karapetyan commented on a case of a passenger fined despite paying her fare, expressing concern over the stress and offense caused by the incident.

Yerevan's mayor, Tigran Avinyan, spent time talking with commuters on public transport and answered their questions on his Facebook page. He addressed concerns over the current discount scheme for concession groups and discussed potential improvements to the transport system.

The aim of the inspections is to ensure people pay for the service they use and "travel legally around the city." 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. The fines range from 3,000 drams ($7.80) to 15,000 drams ($39) for different offenses.

As the city continues to navigate these changes, it's clear that open dialogue and technical improvements are necessary to ensure a smoother and less contentious public transport experience for all Yerevan residents.

passengers traveling in Yerevan now face fines for fare evasion, regardless of whether they have paid the fare or not