Epress.am News from Armenia
Members of the civic initiative “Dignified Transport” will be organizing a demonstration at the bus stop (going toward Baghramyan Ave.) near the Armenian National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Alexander Spendiaryan at 7 pm today.
Organizers are preparing to hold placards and stand silently at the stop and distribute leaflets informing the public of the dangers of standing up in public transport minibuses (most commonly referred to as “marshrutkas”).
Recall, on Jul. 1, members gathered signatures in downtown Yerevan for a petition which they sent to the director of Hayavtokayan CJSC with a letter requesting that all the minibuses’ timetables are presented to them.
Petition organizer and “Dignified Transport” member Arman Gharibyan had 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.
Transport and Communication 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 citizens’ right to freedom of information, guaranteed under the RA Constitution as well as the RA Law on Freedom to Information, was violated,” reads the statement issued by the group.