Tbilisi City Hall to introduce selective restrictions for large vehicle traffic to ease peak hour congestion

Traffic of high-capacity vehicles will be restricted on select streets in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi during peak hours on workdays to alleviate traffic jams starting January 1, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said on Wednesday.

Access will be restricted to M3, N2 and N3 category vehicles between 8am-11am and 5pm-8pm, Kaladze said, adding the restrictions would not affect weekends, holidays and the month of August.

He also said traffic will be closed only in areas of the city where large flow during peak hours was observed to be causing “difficulties”.

The Mayor clarified the regulation would not apply to, public and emergency transport, municipal and state infrastructure vehicles, vehicles used for transport of students and for tourism, as well as those used for operational and search needs and cement trucks.

Additionally, vehicles carrying petroleum products and store distribution vehicles will be allowed access between 8am-11am. The two categories will benefit from the exemption until September 1.

Kaladze added violations of the regulation would be subject to a ₾1,000 ($372.47) fine for the first incidents and ₾3,000 ($1,117) for repeat offences.