‘We Don’t Stoop in Minibuses’ and ‘I’m No Sheep’ in Fight Against Overcrowded Yerevan Public Transport

A Facebook group roughly translated from Armenian to “We don’t stoop in minibuses” will soon begin a number of campaigns to draw attention to their cause.

As previously reported, the group was in the process of acquiring photos and video footage in which passengers are seen standing with their backs bent in overcrowded minibuses, which are the primary form of public transportation in Yerevan as well as on inter-city routes.

The group, which currently has 161 members, notes that stooping in minibuses is actually prohibited by law, there’s a greater likelihood of death in case of an accident if one is standing, it’s inconvenient to lean on others with one’s buttocks and stooping has a negative impact on one’s health.

One of the creators of the group, representative of the youth civic movement HIMA, Hakob Arshakyan, spoke with Epress.am about their plans.

“We have already held a meeting with 25–30 active members; several campaigns were discussed and proposed — for example, to wear T-shirts with the inscription ‘We don’t stoop in minibuses’ and walk around in the city and particularly [linger] at bus stops; to plaster various posters around the city; organize a demonstration, where we will approach police servicing the area near bus stops and ask why they are indifferent when one GAZelle [the make of the minibus] transports 60 people,” he said.

Arshakyan explained that with this last example it’s not that they want to harm drivers, so they have to pay a fine, but to let police officers know there are people who are interested and keeping an eye on the situation.

The drivers are ordinary citizens like us; they too are victims: they have to think about how they can manage to pay the route owners with the amount they’ve made at the end of the day, the HIMA activist added.

Arshakyan noted that his group will be cooperating with another group, also created on Facebook. “Most likely the meeting with representatives of this group will take place on Wednesday.”

This group, by the way, is called “I’m no sheep.”