Dangerous silence
The "Society without Violence" NGO calls on everyone to raise their voices of protest against the horrible accident that took place on Artsakh Street of Yerevan on May 17, leaving 4 dead and 9 injured.
The NGO has sent an open letter to all non-governmental organizations involved in human rights issues, media representatives, public figures and those who pay attention to social phenomena in Armenia.
"Everyone is well aware that today's public transportation has turned into a private business in the hands of a few people. The most common means of public transportation are minibuses and taxis. However, the cars, which are called for transporting people and not killing them, don't fall in line with the technical standards, don't pass inspection and drivers drive for 16-18 hours a day to earn a living," as stated in the letter.
How many more rules should be broken such as cars filled with gas, citizens standing in buses and tired drivers? The authors express regret that these cases will be ongoing as long as the society has not raised its voice of protest, there is a lack of political will and no state approach to solving this issue.
"Aware of and ignoring the facts, we are endangering our health and our lives with our silence. By shutting our eyes, we are allowing certain people fill their pockets and bank accounts at the price of the lives of human beings," as stated in the letter.
On May 17 at 21:27, the number 76 "GAZEL" minibus with state license numbers 3456 and a Mercedes with state license numbers 23 UL 673 collided and caused a fire to break out.
The accident killed the driver of the "GAZEL", the two passengers in the front and the driver of a "Mercedes". Eight passengers are still being hospitalized.
