Published since 07.2002
Published on July 11, 2008
BUMPER TO BUMPER: YEREVAN STREET TRAFFIC INCREASES BY 9-10,000 ANNUALLY
- If the current rate of growth of automobile imports continues, soon moving in downtown Yerevan will become a challenge and finding a parking place will amount to a feat. More than 80,000 motorcars were imported to Armenia from 2006 to July 2008 whereas still according to police data in early 2006 Armenia already had more than 300,000 vehicles. According to the data of Yerevan’s municipality, the number of cars in the capital annually increases by 9-10,000. The import of cars of Russian make is gradually declining giving way to the imports of European, Japanese and American cars. The import of expensive cars is also on the rise. According to the data of the State Customs Committee (SCC), the number of cars evaluated below $5,000 decreased as compared to the previous year, while the quantity of cars with a value of $5-10,000 and $10-15,000 increased. “Thus, 11,512 cars with a value of $5-10,000 were imported last year, and in the first six months of this year the number of such cars is 8,045. Compared to 3,556 cars worth $10-15,000 imported during whole last year, 2,723 have been imported in the first half of this year alone,” says SCC spokeswoman Nelli Manucharyan. Despite a hike in petrol prices, the imports of vehicles continues to be a lucrative business partly due to streamlined and more legalized customs clearance procedures. There is no other rationale to explain the thriving business. But the growing number of cars aggravates the existing traffic problems in Yerevan, particularly in its center. In 2000, there were about 227,000 registered cars in Armenia. By 2005 the number had grown to 300,000 - an increase of 32 percent. Now there are some 380,000 cars. During the working meeting in Yerevan’s municipality on Wednesday President Serzh Sargsyan also referred to the traffic problem, noting that junctions alone are not enough to cope with growing traffic. “Specialists say that gridlocks occur not because the Yerevan streets are not adjusted to accommodate for such a quantity of cars or because of the narrowness of streets, but because of parking outside of parking lots. We have to find solutions to that problem,” he said. The load of central Yerevan is also acknowledged by the capital’s chief architect Samvel Danielyan: “Conditioned by unsolved problems in the past, the current urban developments, transportation flows and other circumstances, the center of Yerevan is rather loaded.” “The establishment of new districts and the re-development of the existing ones as well as the construction of a new network of roads are among immediate tasks in these conditions,” the chief architect underscores. The construction of road underpasses in the capital in recent years is aimed at reducing traffic jams that gradually become common on the city streets. Three such tunnels were put into operation in 2007 – the overpass in Barekamutyun Square, the ones at the Baghramyan-Orbeli and Vardanants-Khanjyan street intersections. Two underpasses foreseen for high-speed driving to bypass busy streets of Yerevan have been under construction since last year (the highway connecting Khanjyan street and Saralanj), as well as the construction of a subway motorway in the area near Ayrarat Cinema. The latter will become operational late this month, the others will be commissioned this fall. Nevertheless, the problem of parking lots has not been solved yet. Many elite buildings now swiftly emerging in the capital are built without designated parking places. Yerevan resident Armen Gevorgyan works in downtown Yerevan and every day has to park his car in different streets of the city center. “Instead of constructing so many elite buildings, they had better build parking places. People already have to park their cars in the second lane,” he says crossly. Besides, territories adjacent to stores, supermarkets and other service facilities in Yerevan are privatized and this becomes the reason why there are parking places on both sides of even narrow streets with one-way traffic. Danielyan gives assurances that the matter is in the center of the municipality’s attention. “Underground parking areas will be built in major intersections and squares by 2012. They will be located in Myasnikyan, France squares, in the Italian and Beirut street intersection and in courtyard territories,” the chief architect says. In the meantime, privately-run parking areas operate in Yerevan. They charge 100-200 drams (about 30-60 cents) to allow cars to park in areas adjacent to sidewalks assigned to them. The fact that the activities of paid car parking areas are not regulated in the country causes a number of problems. In accordance with road traffic rules, paid car parking lots must have a special sign, meanwhile such signs are absent at many parking places in the city. Moreover, these paid parking places do not guarantee in any way the security of cars, as those supposed to watch the parked cars bear no responsibility in the event of car theft or damage. At the same time, according to the mayor’s decision “On Establishing Paid Parking Areas in Yerevan”, a numbered voucher must be issued in return for a paid sum of money to the owner of every car parked in designated parking areas. And this voucher should mention not only the amount of cash paid for the service but also the details about the organization or individual operating a given parking place. “If there were such a voucher, I could confirm that my car was parked in a given parking place, but no paid parking area issues such receipts,” Gevorgyan complains. Meanwhile, many watchmen at private parking places in Yerevan even do not know what organization the parking area they work at belongs to. “I don’t know what company it is run by. I give the money I collect to my supervisor and he forwards it to whoever it is due. I am in charge of collecting the payment, one gives 100 drams, another one gives 200, and I take my percentage from that,” says Karen Khachatryan, who charges money from cars parking in Isahakyan Street.
- Sara Khojoyan
Headlines for July 11, 2008
WEEKEND TRIP: GOVERNMENT MEMBERS VISIT KARABAKH TO STUDY SITUATION ON THE GROUND
Naira Hayrumyan
A delegation of Armenian government members led by Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan was in Nagorno-Karabakh last weekend to hold meetings with their local counterparts and discuss further cooperation. ...REQUEST FOR SECURITY: OMBUDSMAN INVOKES LAW TO APPLY FOR STATE PROTECTION
Marianna Grigoryan
Armenia’s Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan, who became a target of scathing criticism after his late-April ad hoc report on the post-election violence, recently made a formal request to National Security Service ...FRESH START?: SARGSYAN MAKES MORE OVERTURES TO TURKEY RISKING DOMESTIC BACKLASH
Marianna Grigoryan 1
President Serzh Sargsyan risked renewed criticism from hardliners at home as he proposed a “fresh start” in Armenian-Turkish relations Wednesday. In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal (“We ...REEL SUCCESS: GOLDEN APRICOT GROWS TO FIFTH YEAR FOR FILM FANS
Gayane Abrahamyan
Passionate political activities will be replaced with hot cultural events in Yerevan between July 13 and 20. The cinema screening and discussion week of the Golden Apricot International Film Festival ...KARABAKH REFUGEES: 20 YEARS LATER THE PROBLEM STILL UNRESOLVED
Naira Hayrumyan
Twenty years after their deportation from Azerbaijan, Karabakh refugees say that their issues remain open, the solution to problems lying in the political field. Armenian refugees and those who have ...TOURISM 2008: AS PRICES GROW, BETTER SERVICE A NECESSITY FOR ESTABLISHING SUCCESSFUL INDUSTRY
Arpi Harutyunyan 1
The numbers of Armenians choosing the Georgian Black Sea coast of Kobuleti, Ureki and Batumi as holiday locations for the past few years continues to have an effect on Armenian tourism. The number of ...BUMPER TO BUMPER: YEREVAN STREET TRAFFIC INCREASES BY 9-10,000 ANNUALLY
Sara KhojoyanIf the current rate of growth of automobile imports continues, soon moving in downtown Yerevan will become a challenge and finding a parking place will amount to a feat. More than 80,000 motorcars were ...HERITAGE PRESERVATION: BUILDING OF ARCHITECTURAL VALUES ARE DOCUMENTED IN GYUMRI
Ani Hakobyan
The international club of architects and volunteers from the US-based environmental charity institute are going to document the exceptional architectural value of residential houses in the historic district ...GONE WITH THE RAIN: ARMENIAN VILLAGE OF POMEGRANATES SUFFERS DAMAGE FROM RAINS
Armine Avagyan
The unprecedented heavy rains of June caused damage reaching millions of drams to Nrnadzor community, the remotest borderline village of Syunik province and the village made popular because of its pomegranates. ...HERO REMEMBERED: NON-MILITARY PARTICIPANT OF KARABAKH WAR GETS AWARD
Naira Bulghadaryan
Fifteen years after the liberation of Mardakert, a doctor from Vanadzor was honored with the Medal of Gratitude by the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh for the help provided to the people of Artsakh during ...LOOKING TO AUTUMN: OPPOSITION HAS FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR STAGING UPRISING
Three months after leaving office, Armenia’s second president continues to remain a major target for his predecessor’s criticism. In his three speeches since May (when he first delivered a public speech ...SPORT: ‘HERO’ HRAZDAN TO WELCOME NATIONAL TEAM AGAIN
Suren MusayelyanFootball The Football Federation of Armenia has confirmed that the U-21 2009 European Championship qualifier between Armenia and Turkey in Yerevan will be held in Hrazdan Stadium, the city’s largest ...SEATED TO TAKE A STAND: OPPOSITION SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE SIT-IN TILL AUGUST 1
Gayane Mkrtchyan 3
Armenia’s political opposition is continuing a sit-in launched last Friday on Northern Avenue – the scene of daily political strolls of the opposition. The ‘strolls’ in Northern Avenue began after the ...SELF-WILLED SUCCESSOR?: EX-LEADER HIGHLIGHTS DIFFERENCES WITH SARGSYAN OVER LTP, “FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY”
Marianna Grigoryan
Armenia’s retired president this week has indicated disagreement with his successor over at least two issues in a move clearly aimed at disproving the lingering claims of some opposition critics that ...
Most read news (last 7 days)
FRESH START?: SARGSYAN MAKES MORE OVERTURES TO TURKEY RISKING DOMESTIC BACKLASH
Marianna Grigoryan
POLITICAL INTRIGUE: IS ARMENIA ON THE AGENDA FOR VISIT OF RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO TURKEY?
Aris GhazinyanTIPTOEING THE TURKISH TIGHTROPE: SARGSYAN SEES MIXED REACTION AT HOME AFTER MOSCOW STATEMENTS
Aris GhazinyanGONE WITH THE RAIN: ARMENIAN VILLAGE OF POMEGRANATES SUFFERS DAMAGE FROM RAINS
Armine AvagyanUP AND ABOUT: OPPOSITION REACHES GYUMRI FOR ITS FIRST ‘AUTHORIZED’ RALLY AFTER POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE
Ani HakobyanAIR APPARENT?: PACE DECISION NO GUARANTEE FOR A1PLUS
Gayane MkrtchyanREQUEST FOR SECURITY: OMBUDSMAN INVOKES LAW TO APPLY FOR STATE PROTECTION
Marianna GrigoryanAZERIS TO ADD DRONES TO THEIR MILITARY ARSENAL
SPORT: ‘HERO’ HRAZDAN TO WELCOME NATIONAL TEAM AGAIN
Suren MusayelyanBUMPER TO BUMPER: YEREVAN STREET TRAFFIC INCREASES BY 9-10,000 ANNUALLY
Sara Khojoyan
© AUA
Today in Armenian history- 1706 First publication of the "Harsmavoork" periodical in Grigor Marzovantsi's publishing house (Constantinople).
- 1886 Birth of Missak Metsarents (poet). He died in 1908.
- 1904 The Mossoon and Zor battles took place under the leadership of Gayl Vahan and Mihran.
- 1905 After the defeat of Russian forces in the Russo - Japanese War, the Tsar proclaimed an edict on the confiscation of the Etshmiadsin church estates.
- 1906 Death of Heinrich Geltser, German armenologist. He was born in 1847.
- 1906 Death of the German armenologist Heinrich Helzer. He was born in 1847.
Forum most active discussions
- Դավադրություն Հայաստանի Դեմ
- Անկախության 20-ամյակ
- Մեր սիրելի երգերը
- Հանապազօրյա Նավթը և Հայաստանի Աշխարհաքաղաքական Դիրքը
- Armenians and 2011 OSCAR
- Turks and Germans: Partners in Crime and Allies in Court
- Վերջ ապագիտական դեզինֆորմացիային
- Իսկ ե՞րբ մենք պիտի ունենանք մե՛ր Վրեժի Կտակարանը
- 2011 թվականը
- L’ARMENIE OCCIDENTALE ET LE DROIT INTERNATIONAL, AUJOURD’HUI !
ARMENIAN NEWS
INTERACTIVE NEWS
INFORMATION
MY ARMTOWN
How to quit smoking?
How to write in Armenian on Windows XP?
All materials published on this website are taken from open sources and are copyrighted by their respective owners. You cannot reproduce or copy any materials published on armtown.com without written consent of original copyright holder. If you want to remove any material, please send us an email with proof of ownership/copyright and your material will be removed immediately. All materials published for information purposes only.