Gov’t moves to ensure modern bus station infrastructure across Georgia by 2025
Modern bus stations will be built across Georgia as part of an infrastructural reform that aims to provide passengers with a better experience by May 2025, Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said on Monday. Photo: Ministry of Economy
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Modern bus stations will be built across Georgia as part of an infrastructural reform that aims to provide passengers with a better experience by May 2025, Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said on Monday.
Davitashvili acknowledged the existence of “many bus stations” in the country where “no standards are met and [...] the quality [of service] is very low”, adding the first stage of the reform, for ensuring compliance with safety norms of transport vehicles, was expected to be fulfilled by February 2024.
[The current situation] affects the image of our country, the tourism sector, and, of course, our citizens cannot not enjoy domestic, long-distance or international travel in such uncomfortable conditions”, he said.
The stations will become subject to certification, procedures for which will be determined by the Government.
Davitashvili also said the reform would not lead to increased transport fares. “It will be a transparent process [...] In general, within the reform, we do not expect ticket prices to increase", he added.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili first announced the initiative a month ago, saying the goal was to make all stations in the country “modern [and] compliant with European standards”.
He named "unsanitary conditions” as well as transport and safety regulations among areas that needed to be addressed, before saying the situation required “involvement and intervention by the state”.
The delayed renovation of the Varketili station of Tbilisi Metro will launch this month, with works scheduled for the next year and a half, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze revealed on Wednesday.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has allocated a sovereign loan of €50.6 million, including an investment grant of about €5 million, from its Green Climate Fund to finance the renovation of up to 12 metro stations in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi, the Bank announced on Tuesday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said his Government would “very soon” address the Parliament with a legislative initiative to regulate bus station infrastructure across the country and make passenger transportation “comfortable and safe”.
The Gotsiridze station of Tbilisi Metro opens and resumes operation starting Saturday, after the completion of rehabilitation and renovation works, the Tbilisi City Hall announced on Friday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday announced his Government would purchase 154 new buses to serve passengers in cities and towns beyond capital Tbilisi, spending ₾53 million ($20.31mln) for the purpose.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday told the country’s Parliament the Government’s ambition was to turn Georgia into an "aviation hub” in the region and serve not only direct flights but also “large flows” of transit passengers.
Cities and towns in 38 municipalities across Georgia have seen their public transport fleets bolstered with 51 new buses, with regions of Kvemo Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti in the central-eastern part of the country and Samtskhe-Javakheti in the south receiving the vehicles.