YEREVAN. – Due to work, Armenian capital city Yerevan taxi driver Karen Hovhannisyan, 50, had “celebrated” New Year 2016—last year—in his car, and congratulated his relatives and acquaintances by phone.

Hovhannisyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that cab drivers in Yerevan are very busy during the last two weeks of December, while on December 31, they spend the whole day in their cars, due to traffic jams; and as a result, they cannot finish work on time and welcome the New Year at home, with their families.

“And that’s why last year I welcomed the New Year in the car,” he added.

The taxi driver had started New Year 2016 in his vehicle, and together with “Santa Claus,” who likewise was working.

“We were stuck in a traffic jam,” said Karen Hovhannisyan. “[But] I must say that it was very happy. The twelve [o’clock midnight] struck,  I congratulated ‘Santa Claus,’ and then I called my wife [and] said, ‘I’m with ‘Santa Claus;’ I’ll come home late.’”