Transportation

Minibuses called “marshrutka” are widely used throughout Yerevan, and are available for transport in other cities around Armenia as well. 

Yerevan provides a few other reliable modes of transport, in the form of the city’s minibuses, as well as the metro system. Maps and timetables for these services can be found on the Yerevan Municipality Transport page. Furthermore, BusBud offers options for running bus routes between major cities in Armenia and surrounding countries.

Other reliable, local modes of transportation are simply biking and walking! These are both eco-friendly ways to reduce carbon footprint, as well as get your daily exercise in. 

Biking safely is very important in congested cities with infrastructure not yet accommodated to it. Here are a few rules one should always follow when operating a bicycle::

  • Always wear a helmet
  • Follow all rules that cars do: stop at signs and lights, obey all traffic signs and laws
  • Use turn lanes and turn signals with hands
  • Use lights at night or in bad weather
  • Do not use your phone or bike while intoxicated

Drivers must also share the road with cyclists and pedestrians in order to make this mode of transport more accessible and appealing. Driving safely means:

  • Checking blind spots
  • Always passing on the left
  • Always leave at least three feet of space between the car and the cyclist
  • Be patient, and pay special attention at crosswalks
  • Check before opening the door of a parked car on a busy street
  • Be aware when roads are marked as a shared car and bike lane

YerevanRide and Mimo are both public bike sharing networks in Yerevan, which will begin to expand to other large cities if the option becomes popular.

The One Bicycle Foundation provides bicycles to the younger generation in places of great need. Contact them and see if your community can partner to set up a program similar to those that have already taken place in Armenia.

References

Lindsay, M. (2018, January 15). The Rules of the Road that Cyclists Need to Know: MapMyRun. Retrieved April 30, 2020, from https://blog.mapmyrun.com/rules-road-cyclists-need-know/

Herring, A. (2011, August 24). Students Biking. Retrieved April 29, 2020, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Biking-2_(6093219157).jpg

Konsek, M. (2011, June 7). Marshrutka in Yerevan. Retrieved April 29, 2020, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014_Erywań,_Marszrutka_w_centrum_stolicy_(02).jpg