How much do bus drivers earn in neighboring countries?
Since the early morning of December 3, bus drivers under the jurisdiction of Yerevan have been on strike. The main reason for the strike is the demand for a salary increase. It is reported that after the introduction of the unified ticketing system, there were promises to raise salaries, but no changes have been made. Due to the strike, only trolleybuses and small minibusses are operating.
Yerevan’s public transport includes 3 types of buses: MAN, Zhong Tong, and Gazel City. Their drivers earn monthly salaries of 401,500 AMD, 309,500 AMD, and 219,500 AMD, respectively.
The introduction of the unified ticketing system means that drivers no longer have to deal with giving change or handling cash payments at all. The bus drivers who have gone on strike report that they also worked overtime. They confess that before the transition to the unified ticketing system, they earned an additional 4,000-5,000 AMD per day, aside from their salary.
The municipality has announced that 18 drivers who declared the strike have been dismissed from their jobs.
AMNEWS has compiled an infographic comparing the salaries of bus drivers in neighboring countries and the region with those working in Armenia, showing that bus drivers in Armenia receive relatively high wages.