2015-12-03
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili chaired a recent government session, during which the Cabinet discussed draft amendments to the Law on Road Transport Policy, traffic safety and optimization of environmental conditions.
During the session, the Cabinet declared that registration of vehicles with right-side steering wheels will be banned.
Interior Minister Giorgi Mghebrishvili explained that there is no plan to introduce additional taxes or new regulations on vehicles with right-side steering wheels. He confirmed that the changes will not apply to the restriction of movement of the vehicles and will not affect owners with already registered vehicles. The ban will also not apply to transit, temporary import regime, re-export and import of the vehicles.
He continued, "The statistics are quite alarming. In 2015, in Georgia, the total import of cars with right-side steering wheels was 50 percent. Only two countries with left-line traffic have this - Afghanistan and Burma. The maximum allowable percentage of right-side steering wheel vehicles in all European countries is 10 percent. In 2013, 71,182 vehicles with left-side steering wheels were registered, whereas 12,542 vehicles with right-side steering wheels were registered. In 2014, there were approximately 67,515 vehicles with left-side steering wheels and 34,000 vehicles with right-side steering wheels. In 2015, the number of vehicles with left-side steering wheels dropped to 47,672 and vehicles with right-side steering wheels dropped to 32,025. However, if these trends continue, in few years we might want to change the movement of this direction."
The Prime Minister welcomed the initiative and stated that an immediate response to the situation is necessary. He also stressed the current ecological situation in Tbilisi and asked Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection Gigla Agulashvili to monitor the extension of fuel quality inspection.
Minister Agulashvili reported that systematic studies of air samples in the capital, as well as other major Georgian cities, show that vehicles are the main source of air pollution.
"It mainly depends on the age of the vehicle fleet. Along with the fuel quality, the content of toxic gases in the exhaust is problematic, which is the product of incomplete combustion. Accordingly, we are supporting the gradual recovery of the vehicle fleet. A survey of Tbilisi has shown that air quality is on an average level by European standards but to improve the situation we need to change the vehicle fleet. Individual importers have already fulfilled fuel quality standards established by the government and in some cases the fuel meets Euro 5 Standard," explained Minister Agulashvili.