Epress.am News from Armenia
A civic initiative called “Dignified Transport” organized a petition in downtown Yerevan today, after which it sent a letter with the collected signatures to the director of Hayavtokayan CJSC so that all the minibuses’ timetables are presented to them.
Speaking to Epress.am, organizer of the petition Arman Gharibyan stated that after they receive the timetables they will begin to monitor the work of the minibuses.
“We will begin to conduct monitoring, as to how public transportation is working, whether they are following the schedule (or not),” he said.
The petition today lasted one hour, during which time only 15 signatures were collected. “The problem here is not in the quantity, since every individual person has the right to receive information of interest to him.”
Gharibyan also informed Epress.am that on May 15 he had submitted a query in writing to the RA Ministry of Transport and Communication in which he asked that information regarding any changes (amendments) or improvements to public transportation (excluding the metro) operating in the Republic of Armenia be provided to him.
Deputy minister Artashes Avetisyan responded with a short message that said transport legislation and amendments thereto are available on the ministry’s website at www.mtc.am.
Dignified Transport members note that the deputy minister essentially didn’t respond to their question since it’s not transport legislation or amendments they asked for, but information regarding forthcoming amendments and improvements in this sector.
“Basically, violated was the citizen’s right to freedom of information, which is guaranteed under the RA Constitution as well as the RA Law on Freedom to Information,” reads the statement issued by the group.