The population of Bakuriani, a city in the Borjomi municipality of Georgia, will benefit from improved public transport and services thanks to a €5 million loan provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The financing will help to acquire special vehicles for street cleaning, snow removal and waste collection, as well as to purchase multi-purpose trucks, and 10 modern buses for passenger transport.

The new low-floor buses will considerably reduce emissions in this popular mountain and ski resort and offer more comfortable journeys. The EBRD is also providing technical cooperation funding aimed at training and promoting women for bus-driver roles.

Bakuriani is a small town in the central part of the country. It is one of the most-visited mountain and ski resorts in Georgia and famous for its climate and natural environment.

The technical cooperation will make recommendations for safe, accessible and inclusive transport that integrates the needs of passengers into urban transport services.

“This project will help to improve the quality of municipal services and safety measures in an important resort town. Improving Georgia’s municipal infrastructure, especially in the regions, is of paramount importance for the EBRD. The project will also help promote gender equality across the workforce,” said Catarina Bjorlin Hansen, EBRD Regional Director for the Caucasus.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Georgia. Since the start of its operations in the country, the Bank has invested over €3.8 billion in 252 projects there, in the financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors, with 89 per cent of these investments in the private sector.