Tbilisi Mayor Suggests Banning Private Vehicles Twice a Week for the Environment

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze today discussed the ecological condition throughout the country amid the traffic restrictions imposed as a part of the State of Emergency. 

"During the imposed traffic restrictions these last months, the ecological condition in Tbilisi and the whole territory of Georgia has significantly improved. In particular, the air pollution index in the capital has sharply decreased. The current data is totally different compared to the air pollution rate in the same period of 2019. Chemical compound nitrogen dioxide, which is the result of exhaust, has also reduced in the air," Kaladze emphasized. 

The Tbilisi Mayor noted these important achievements need to be maintained, accordingly, he suggested establishing a new rule in terms of protecting the environment, and is asking for citizens' opinions. 

"At this stage, this is just an idea, an offer, however, we are interested in our citizens' position and we would like to know what they think about establishing a new rule when we go back to normal life: to completely prohibit driving private vehicles two days a week, for example, on weekends, allowing only the operation of public transport in the streets, so as to care for our ecology and reduce air pollution. Of course, this idea needs to be improved, and we will work on it. A public survey will also be conducted in this regard to find out if our citizens support this initiative," he said. 

By Ana Dumbadze