Vehicle testing: Georgia tightens rules for safer, cleaner cars

Georgia is stepping up its efforts to ensure safety on the country's roads and support better environmental practices by testing the road-worthiness of vehicles before they are allowed to drive on roads. 

Today Georgia’s Minister of Economy Dimitry Kumsishvili announced the Government was interested in bringing in mandatory vehicle inspections and was inviting interested companies to show their Expression of Interest.

The Government of Georgia wants to create a healthy and safe environment for the citizens of Georgia. To do this, we are resuming mandatory vehicle inspections in Georgia. Not only will this significantly improve the ecological environment, as we all know that vehicles are one of the major contributors to air pollution in Georgia, but [this will also help reduce] car accidents in Georgia,” Kumsishvili said.

Mandatory vehicle inspections was planned to resume on January 1, 2018. Years ago local authorities tried to introduce mandatory vehicle testing however the concept was not welcomed by society and eventually failed.

Now, all international companies experienced in implementing periodic vehicle technical inspections in European Union (EU) member countries are welcome to submit an Expression of Interest before December 9, 2016 at Georgia’s Ministry of Economy if they want to be involved in this project, Kumsishvili said.

A special Government commission will be involved in selecting the best companies to shortlist, while the final decision on who will be responsible for implementing the vehicle testing regime will be made by the Government of Georgia.

Kumsishvili said vehicle inspection centres would be established in every region of Georgia in 2017 to ensure all vehicles met European safety standards. 

Today there is no mechanism in Georgia to check all safety parameters of vehicles after mandatory vehicle testing was cancelled in 2004. Since then testing a vehicle’s road-worthiness has been voluntary.

Now Georgian authorities must readdress this issue; within the Georgia-EU Association Agreement signed by both sides in 2014, Georgia is obligated to ensure all vehicles are compliant with EU standards.

Currently more than 400,000 cars drive along the streets of Georgia's capital - that's twice as many vehicles driving in Tbilisi since 2010.