Armenian drivers seek compensation as pothole damage mounts in Yerevan

Large potholes across Yerevan are causing mounting vehicle damage and financial strain for drivers, prompting calls for accountability and compensation from city authorities.

Zhanna Harutyunyan, a local driver, said she recently spent more than 200,000 drams repairing her car after it was damaged on Shirak Street. In a video shared on Facebook, she criticized widespread impunity and negligence.

“Drivers diligently pay taxes and fees, but in return get dangerous roads,” Harutyunyan said, adding that some motorists have had multiple tires burst after hitting potholes that are difficult to see at night.

She unveiled plans to apply to the Yerevan Municipality for compensation and encouraged others with dashboard camera footage or other evidence to follow suit.

“Asphalt is not meant for one-time use,” she said in the video. “If it doesn’t last, something has gone wrong somewhere in the management chain. I certainly should not be at the end of that chain.”

Tigran Keyan, head of the Driver’s Friend NGO, told Panorama.am that citizens can and should seek compensation if damage results from municipal negligence.

“There is a clear procedure,” Keyan said. “If a vehicle is damaged because of a pothole, the driver should call the police. It is treated as a traffic incident. Officers document the case, an assessment company evaluates the damage and the driver can file a claim with the Municipality.”

If the city hall refuses to acknowledge responsibility, motorists can pursue compensation through the courts, he added.

City authorities have attributed the surge in potholes to fluctuating winter temperatures, the use of salt on icy roads and the deterioration of asphalt that has exceeded its service life.

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan recently said temporary repairs would be carried out, with large-scale renovation works planned once weather conditions improve. However, the Municipality has not announced any policy regarding compensation for drivers whose vehicles have been damaged.