Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze says car dependency and the growing number of vehicles are the capital’s biggest challenges. Speaking to TV Imedi, he said up to 900,000 vehicles travel through the city during peak hours, exceeding the capacity of its existing road infrastructure.
Kaladze suggested that possible solutions could include allowing cars to circulate on alternating days based on odd and even license plate numbers, or introducing paid entry zones in certain districts, similar to systems used in European cities. However, he stressed that public support would be necessary.
He also argued that building more overpasses would not solve traffic congestion in the long term, while dedicated bus lanes should not be considered the cause of the problem. According to Kaladze, rising car ownership is putting increasing pressure on the city's roads.
The mayor added that studies are underway on potential bypass roads at Tbilisi’s western and eastern entrances. Future decisions on traffic management and infrastructure development will depend on the results.
