Broken buses and legal battles leave Armenia's Masis-Yerevan route in limbo

Residents of the town of Masis are growing increasingly frustrated with the deteriorating quality of public transport on the busy Masis–Yerevan route, citing a shortage of buses, frequent breakdowns and prolonged delays that disrupt daily life.

Passengers say the limited number of vehicles and their poor technical condition have led to overcrowding, long queues at bus stops and missed work hours, especially during morning rush periods. Complaints have mounted on social media, where users describe buses packed beyond capacity, sealed windows and instances of passengers feeling unwell due to lack of air.

“The Masis–Yerevan route is in a disgraceful state,” one resident wrote. “Several buses have been taken off the line due to technical problems. People are late for work, buses run infrequently and they cram in an unacceptable number of passengers. Some people feel sick because there’s no air, and even the windows are shut. No one is addressing the problem.”

As the situation drags on without a clear solution, some residents have begun calling for more radical forms of protest, including blocking roads to draw attention to the issue.

Local officials say the problem has been raised repeatedly with higher authorities over the years but has failed to move forward due to administrative and political obstacles.

“The municipality has done everything within its power — raised the issue, appealed to the relevant agencies and spoken out publicly,” another resident wrote. “But for unclear reasons, larger structures approach this not from a practical standpoint, but a political one. As long as decisions are driven by factors other than people’s real needs, the problem will remain unresolved.”

The route is currently operated by Liga LLC, headed by Karine Abrahamyan. Media reports have previously linked the company to former Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan. Attempts by Panorama.am to contact Liga LLC were unsuccessful.

Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure acknowledged the delays, telling Panorama.am that legal disputes between bidders had stalled the process of appointing a new operator. The ministry said a new tender has now been announced.

“We are aware of the problem,” the ministry said. “The unified route network tender was held recently, and it will be concluded in the coming days. The winner will bring in buses within the set timeframe, after which a new operator will take over the service. The previous tender period had expired, but court proceedings between participants delayed the process. A new competition has now been launched.”

While authorities insist the issue will be resolved once a new carrier is selected, Masis residents say they are still waiting for tangible improvements that would allow them to travel safely and regularly.

Reporting by Anzhela Poghosyan