Taxi drivers protest against Transport Minister in Yerevan
By Rashid Shirinov
Endless protests in Yerevan and regions of Armenia have already become a standard practice for the country’s population. Rarely the Armenian government takes real action after these protests, but the Armenian citizens do not give up in their attempts.
Thus, the Yerevan taxi drivers have held a protest in the city, demanding the resignation of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology Vahagn Martirosyan.
During the protest, held on October 17, the chairman of the Drivers Protection League Tigran Hovhannisyan accused the minister in inaction.
“The minister promised us that he would raise in the Parliament the issues related to problems in the field of taxi services. However, he did nothing,” Hovhannisyan told local reporters.
The taxi drivers complain that some companies offer taxi service without being registered, and thus they do not pay the same amount as other taxi drivers.
Hovhannisyan said that the drivers had suggested to temporarily provide equal rights for "illegal" taxi drivers, but nothing was done in this regard.
The taxi drivers had previously held a rally in front of the National Assembly in Yerevan, and all the factions of the Parliament met and talked to them. However, the discussion of this issue is ongoing to this day.
Hovhannisyan also noted that minister Martirosyan is incompetent in the sphere, which he heads.
“This minister knows absolutely nothing about this area. We demand his resignation,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Armenia has carried out a “business-genocide.”
Private Armenian taxi drivers have been protested for several years, ever since the times of the former Minister of Transport Gagik Beglaryan. The first protest was against the law of February 1, 2015, on compulsory licensing of taxi drivers. They noted that the process of getting a license with all necessary procedures cost too much for ordinary taxi drivers.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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