Former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, responding on Facebook to a statement by the city administration that low fare revenue is preventing the purchase of new trolleybuses, criticized officials for trying to shift the blame for the failed transport reform onto “dishonest passengers.”

He directed a question at Mayor Tigran Avinyan, asking: “You’ve raised taxes and collected all that money—so where’s it being spent if there's not enough for public transport?”

Marutyan noted that while the current government and “traditional opposition” are focused on political maneuvering, everyday issues directly affecting people's lives remain unresolved. One such issue, he said, is public transportation in Yerevan.

Summarizing Municipality’s recent announcement, Marutyan wrote: “They admit they can’t procure new vehicles because they’re not collecting enough money from ticket sales. In other words, they’re blaming the failure on so-called ‘dishonest passengers’ and the boycott promoted by malicious opposition figures.”

He made several key points:

• When fare increases were being debated, he argued detailed calculations were needed to assess affordability and the impact on development. The current outcome proves there was no solid financial plan behind the fare hike.
• In a previous debate with Avinyan, he asked how raised taxes are being used if they can't cover basic transport needs—and he says he never received a clear answer.
• Marutyan emphasized that during his mayoralty, nearly 460 buses were acquired solely using Yerevan’s budget without government subsidies and without raising fares.
• “You claimed the boycott failed—so why complain now about low fare collection? The city’s statement confirms our boycott succeeded, and I congratulate everyone involved,” he added.
• “You said the fare hike would fund new vehicles. Since you're not delivering them—cut the fares.”

Marutyan concluded that officials are once again blaming everyone—opposition, citizens, bad weather, even fictional characters—except the real culprits: “incompetent, shortsighted, and corrupt authorities.” He asserted that with such leadership gone, progress could gradually be restored through collective effort.

Municipality’s spokesperson Hayk Kostanyan stated on June 3 that fare boycott campaigns led to undercollection, which now prevents the purchase of most planned vehicles. Of the 45 trolleybuses intended for this year, only 15 might be procured, and even that is uncertain.