Saburtalo to Be Freed from Traffic Jams
Saburtalo district in Tbilisi is considered by many as a place where traffic jams occur most often. To solve this problem, five options for the improvement of on-site traffic have been presented to Tbilisi City Hall. To date the government has tended to focus more on traffic regulation and street infrastructure improvements than large-scale construction. The restriction of vehicles, not only in Saburtalo but in other districts of the capital, need to be a part of the unified traffic Master Plan of Georgia.
“To study the most challenging aspects of transportation in Tbilisi, we chose a foreign company which has been engaged in the field for many years,” said Vice-Mayor of Tbilisi, Lasha Abashidze. “We intend to make future decisions based on the information and recommendations they presented to us.”
Germany Company ‘A+ S Consult GmbH Forschung und Entwicklung’ studied in detail the traffic flow in the Saakadze Square and 26 May Square areas, as well as along Pekini, Kandelaki and others surrounding streets. Following this, they presented the State with five alternative ways to solve the problem which includes better regulation of traffic, as well as large-scale infrastructure projects.
According to the company’s research, Saburtalo exceeds the allowable capacity of flow, as a result of which it experiences reduced speed of movement, traffic jams, noise and polluted air.
“We have proposed five options,” said Christian Boettger, Head of Transport Department of ‘A+S Consult GmbH Forschung und Entwicklung’ Company. “It is essential to solve the major problems with the establishment of new traffic lights at various points in the studied areas. In addition, to solve the problem of traffic jams in Tbilisi overall, the government should create new pedestrianized areas. We have presented our vision of problems and a number of solutions and now it is up to the heads of the capital to decide which version is more suitable for them.”
Tbilisi City Hall had already announced that they are leaning towards one version which includes the establishment of new ‘smart’ traffic lights, safety islands, public transport development and he introduction of a number of other systems for traffic regulation.
“I was satisfied that the studies paid attention to the large area opposite the Holiday Inn Hotel on 26 May Square,” said Shalva Ogbaidze, member of the City Council. “In the past there were suggestions to install a tunnel there, but I’m pleased to see that this option has now been excluded and this area will simply be released to movement in other ways.”
Government officials, representatives of NGOs and experts point out that it was important for the State to abandon large-scale infrastructure projects in favor of traffic regulation, the changing of traffic flow and even the limitation of that flow in some areas – options suggested by foreign experts. Moreover, co-director of Georgia’s traffic Master Plan, Merab Bolkvadze, highlighted that although the work on the Plan is at an early stage of development, they fully support such a system and believe that it is possible to solve problems on the roads with the correct regulations.
Eka Karsaulidze