Tbilisi budget 2017: Improving public transport a priority
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Developing and upgrading public transport in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi will be the top priority and challenge facing Tbilisi City Hall next year.
Next year Tbilisi City Hall will enjoy a budget of over 800 million GEL (about $322 million/€300 million*) in total. Of this a large chunk of funds, over 62 million GEL (about $25 million/€23 million*), has been allocated to upgrading the public transport bus fleet in Georgia's capital.
This year Tbilisi City Hall started a major overhaul and modernisation of the public bus fleet in Tbilisi and this will continue next year, authorities announced. The aim of this work was to reduce vehicle emissions and curb rising pollution levels caused by old, deteriorating buses.
The first blue buses that operate using compressed natural gas (CNG) appeared on Tbilisi streets in September thanks to an agreement between Georgia and a leading international provider of commercial vehicles, Man Truck and Bus AG Company.
The agreement stated in the next few months 143 new buses will be added to the Tbilisi public transport service.
Meanwhile next year Tbilisi City Hall planned to reduce administrative costs in the public transport sector by 16.1 million GEL (about $6.44 million/€6 million*) meaning less money will be spent on fuel, repair works and purchasing different technologies.
The draft 2017 budget for Tbilisi also included developing roads and maintaining the historic districts of the city as well as building more kindergartens and transforming Tbilisi into a greener, more ecologically friendly city.
Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania said the 2017 draft budget had been already sent to Tbilisi Council, which will be approved by the end of this year.
*Currencies are equivalent with the latest National Bank of Georgia exchange rate.
The 2017 budget for Tbilisi City Hall is over 800 million GEL.
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Tbilisi Sakrebulo (City Council) has approved next year’s budget for Georgia’s capital city. In 2017 Tbilisi City Hall will enjoy a budget of over 800 million GEL.
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Brand-new buses continue to modernise Tbilisi’s fleet as route 87 gets an upgrade. The new buses began operating on March 1 along a popular Tbilisi bus-route that serves the city’s central districts.
A new autopark is being built in Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi to provide parking spots for 377 buses.
By July 20, all 143 new buses that Tbilisi has purchased to modernise its public transport fleet will begin operating. Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania announced the news yesterday.
European Commission’s Director-General for Mobility and Transport Henrik Hololei said Georgia has excellent potential and opportunities for investing in transport.
Georgian parliament has approved the country’s next year’s budget. In 2018 Georgia will enjoy a budget of 12.441 billion GEL (about $4.827/€4.108 billion*). This is 949 million GEL more than it was in 2017.