Restrictions to be imposed on transport to improve environment in Tbilisi

Tbilisi City Hall is planning to revise transport policy and impose certain restrictions on transport in order to improve the environmental conditions of the city.

Mayor Kakha Kaladze believes that tackling existing environmental problems in Tbilisi requires vital reforms that might be painful, but must be done.

He says that emissions from yellow buses, so called mini buses and old cars, pose a serious threat to air quality in the city.

Kaladze says recent data shows the city is overrun by vehicles.

More than 500,000 vehicles move throughout the city. There is a seven percent rise in the number of vehicles imported from abroad and 98 percent of them are outdated”, said Kaladze.

Kaladze said that emissions from yellow buses, so called mini buses and old cars, pose a serious threat to air quality in the city. Photo by N. Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

The number of buses amounts to 600-650 units. 143 of them are brand new whereas the others are old. The yellow bus fleet can’t stand the criticism, all the resources have been depleted; that was the reason for my assertion that the fleet would have to be fully replaced by modern, eco-friendly buses during my tenure of office.

... but we face a much more serious problem - private cars; 90 percent of them are too outdated... The first thing to be done alongside with technical inspection is to halt importing old cars. This might trigger some dissatisfaction, but this is a step that has to be taken. The matter concerns the health of our kids”, he added.

As Kaladze said Tbilisi City Hall conducted a survey which is to be submitted to society in order to show them the environment they are living in.

I think it’s impossible to remedy this circumstance unless specific reforms are pushed and real steps are taken. The role and involvement of each of us is crucial for changing this situation”, Kaladze said.