Cargo turnover at Georgian transport sector up 2.4% in Q3
Cargo turnover by Georgia's transport sectors, including road transport, railway freight and air cargo, increased by 2.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023 and amounted to 9.5 million tonnes. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Cargo turnover by Georgia's transport sectors, including road transport, railway freight and air cargo, increased by 2.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023 and amounted to 9.5 million tonnes, the Ministry of Economy announced on Thursday.
Figures showed 6.4 million tonnes was transported by road (+1.1 percent), 3.2 million tonnes by railways (+5 percent) and over 4,000 tonnes by air (+0.4 percent).
However, Georgian ports saw a decline in demand. Figures showed the total amount of cargo processed through Poti and Batumi seaports amounted to 2.8 million tonnes, which was 6.8 percent less than in the same quarter of 2022.
The Ministry also shared data for passenger transport, showing a total 85.8 million passengers transported in the reporting period by air, rail and road, marking a 1.5 percent year-on-year increase.
The body said the highest number of passengers - 84.3 million, or an increase of 0.8 percent - had been transported by road. One million passengers used international airports of Georgia (+48.6 percent), while Georgian Railway served 0.5 million passengers this year (+98.3 percent).
Traffic flow at customs checkpoints across Georgia has increased "significantly", Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili said at an event dedicated to International Customs Day on Thursday.
Georgian economy minister Levan Davitashvili on Friday said the freight turnover in the Middle Corridor - a fast-developing land and sea freight route from Europe to China via Georgia - had increased by 30 percent this year, while cargo flow from Kazakhstan to Georgia had increased six times year-on-year.
Georgian Railway is simplifying freight procedures by moving paperwork required for international freight online.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Saturday said cargo turnover, by the country's transport sectors, including road and railway, as well as civil aviation, had increased by 16.6 percent in the first quarter of 2022 and had amounted to 12.8 million tons, this “clearly indicating” that the interest of international carriers towards the transport corridor of Georgia has been growing.
Georgian ports and terminals received 3,931 ships in the first quarter of 2023, the National Statistics Office of Georgia said on Friday.