Everyone is in need of wheels; there is little space left for walking. Noise is everywhere. Life is not possible without noise any more. There is no space in the yards to walk, cars are everywhere, garages have grown like mushrooms everywhere.
Yerevan municipality can’t make the demand of garages precise: many families have several cars already.
They say in the frames of the realization of the main layout of Yerevan of 2006-2020, in the result of the survey based on the zoning projects of the administrative districts they work out plans of cleaning of the areas loaded with metal and stone garages and dilapidated constructions mainly located unorganized in the yards of the block of flats, as well as plans of building, landscaping and improvement of resting, entertainment zones and playgrounds on the ground sections of the garages and parking lots underground.
Emissions and consequences
Ecologist, coauthor of the action-project “Green Yerevan” Martiros Tsarukyan says we are car lovers, and it’s natural that the emissions are much, but what is going on now in Yerevan is something extraordinary, unprecedented. Before the price increase in the frames of the customs payments by 2020 of Eurasian Economic Union everyone wants to import cars for themselves or for sale. But Tsarukyan hopes that part of the imported cars will leave Armenia, though the ecological problem won’t actually be solved by that.
The factors for developing cancer and many other illnesses are everywhere, beginning from the dust emerging from the worn out tires up to emissions of the fuel. Tsarukyan notices that, of course, Armenia is one of the leaders in the world turning to gas instead of petrol, in the result of which harmful emissions are less, but in the case of functioning of so many cars in the capital does not leave us in optimism.
Not yet official car cemeteries
In the administrative district of Yerevan there is no officially confirmed territory foreseen for car scraps – “car cemeteries.” Nevertheless, they confirm from the municipality that there are already territories, where car scraps have accumulated in years: the ending of the Silikyan 13th district of Ajapnyak, the surrounding area of “Spandaryan” station, the surrounding area at the crossroad of Raffi and Sheram streets in Malatia administrative district, the surrounding area of “Astgik” medical center, etc.
Martiros Tsarukyan says there is no need for fear, the left behind metal of the cars is not that dangerous. Their other parts, which are more valuable and as dangerous, for example, accumulators, which contain heavy metals and other materials, are being deconstructed to be resold.
International index
In our country of 3,5 million there are 500 000 registered cars, according to the surveys in the frames of the project “Green Yerevan”of ecologist Tsarukyan.
Daily index is also expressive. In September of 2018 184 vehicles passed customs clearance daily, while in September of this year, 645.
The city municipality says they open alternative, bypass roads every year, the aim of which is to unload the center of the city from traffic. They will take up initiatives for reordering the city transport. But are these solutions enough functional in this kind of inflow of cars?
The publication was prepared in the framework of “Strengthening Independent Media in Europe and Eurasia” project implemented by Media Initiatives Center, with the financial support of Internews.