A ride on one of these costs about a penny more (eight cents total) since September 1.

In addition to the recent anticipated rise in prices for drinking water, natural gas and bread, Yerevan subway (metro) fare has been raised as well.

Starting this month metro riders pay 50 drams (about 8 cents) for the fare of Karen Demirchyan Yerevan Metro, an increase of 10 drams (about a penny).

At a press conference called on the day of the new fare, Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakharyan said that the slight increase would create revenue for making repairs and improvements of the public transport.

"I suggested to increase the fare even in 1998, when I took the position of the Minister of Transportation and Communication," Zakharyan said. "I hope for the overwhelming majority of our citizens this change is not drastic."

The mayor went on to say that the 10-dram increase is an amount that previously "stayed in the cashiers' pockets". There is no 40-dram note, and according to the mayor, cashiers don't give 10-dram change when handed a 50-dram payment.

Officials from the Transport Department of Yerevan municipality explained that the subway works without profit, as others in many countries.

The city metro system has one line, 10 stations, and covers 12 kilometers, with trains running every five minutes from 6:30 a.m. till 11 p.m. The system employs about 1,200 workers, and the operation cost amounts to about 120 drams per passenger.

Officials say that the increase of a fare is part of a program developed to resolve many problems such as upgrading the fleet of carriages, ensuring security measures and railway tunnel renovation.

Officials say $13 million is needed to modernize the 23-year old underground rail, including adding a new station across the Hrazdan River with a stop for Hrazdan Stadium and the Genocide Memorial.