The completion of a new GEL 60.5 million bus depot near Tbilisi International Airport has been postponed once again. The depot is intended to serve 200 units of 18-meter buses, but the project continues to face construction delays.
The original contract with Construction Service was signed on June 30, 2023, with an 18-month completion deadline ending on March 30, 2025. The first extension moved the deadline to June 30, 2025, but the company has now notified Tbilisi City Hall that it will not meet that target either. The deadline has been extended once more until November 29, 2025.
According to the State Procurement Agency, GEL 37.5 million (around 62% of the total contract value) has been paid so far.
Tbilisi City Hall has already purchased 160 of the planned 200 18-meter buses, though fewer than 100 are currently operating. The main reason is a lack of capacity at the Didi Digomi depot, which cannot accommodate all buses. The new airport depot must be completed before the entire fleet can enter service, a milestone that has now been postponed multiple times.
The total cost of Tbilisi’s 18-meter bus reform exceeds GEL 500 million, including:
- GEL 326 million for purchasing 200 buses (GEL 259 million for 160 buses and GEL 66.8 million for an additional 40);
- GEL 60.5 million for the new depot construction;
- EUR 25 million for a 3-year technical maintenance contract, with another €20 million contract to follow.
