Tbilisi Mayor speaks on infrastructure plans at municipality government meeting
By Tsotne Pataraia
Thursday, November 28
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze held a municipality government meeting on November 27. At the meeting of the government of the capital Kaladze mainly touched upon ongoing projects and infrastructure plans for the next year.
According to Tbilisi mayor, rehabilitation of several large avenues in Tbilisi will begin in 2020. Kakha Kaladze stated that the City Hall plans to fully rehabilitate Tsereteli, Vazha-Pshavela and Ketevan Tsamebuli avenues:
"We are going to implement the projects of Saburtalo-Bagebi bridge, also complete rehabilitation of Tsereteli, Vazha-Pshavela and Ketevan Tsamebuli avenues. Underground communications will be fully fixed, water system and gas pipes will be replaced and renovated. The tree planting will be resumed here as well and I am sure these avenues will be as beautiful and well in order as we had in other cases," said Kaladze, noting that the rehabilitation of Chavchavadze Avenue would be completed in the spring.
In addition, Kaladze instructed the vice mayor to start talks with the company managing the minibus in the capital as soon as possible in order to start the car park renovation by 2020. The Mayor of Tbilisi gave the Vice Mayor two weeks to prepare a concrete plan in this direction. He said he is "not going to wait another few years for these buses to be upgraded and replaced."
According to the research and analysis of the company "Sistras," it is impossible to move the minibuses, which are 12, 10, 8 meters long, on the streets of the capital, also taking into account the terrain and features of the city, as well as traffic conditions:
"Research shows that the role and existence of minibuses in the city is important," the mayor said.
Following Kaladze, the technical conditions of the minibuses can no longer resist the criticism:
"Nobody likes the condition of these buses, and we all know what a discomfort it is to travel with them," the mayor noted.
Following Kakha Kaladze, Tbilisi City Hall is also starting to develop a waste management strategy and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has already allocated a grant of around ˆ 500,000 to develop the strategy. The tender announced by the EBRD has also selected the consortium that will create the document:
"It is a very important document for the city, based on European experience, to provide a long-term view of what coherent steps should be taken to meet the obligations under national law and the Association Agreement with the European Union. Also, new and optimal mini-circuits should be developed for transportation of passengers," said Kaladze.
