Protesters Fight the New Sidewalk Bill

A mixed group of locals and ex-pats met to protest against a new Bill on illegal parking and parking on sidewalks yesterday.

The group met outside the old Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi as a reaction to Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Soso Jachvliani’s November 20th initiative which, if passed, means that illegally parked cars will no longer be towed away; they will only be removed if they are blocking traffic. 

Organizer Inge Snip said: "Parking on sidewalks is already major problem in Georgian cities. Parked cars block our ways, often resulting in dangerous situations – who has not been forced to walk on the road because cars were blocking the sidewalk? And if you have disabilities, or you are pushing a stroller around, you are even more at risk. We, citizens and organizations, are uniting to demand a reasonable and a thoughtful development of our cities, to apply modern city planning principles. The government needs to adjust public spaces to work for the people, not against them!"