Parking in Tbilisi: Not a Lost Cause

The morning for most of our citizens begins with the thought of where to park a car. Part of them can find the space, the other one is forced to break the law and waits calmly for 10 GEL fine on their windscreen of their cars. Due to poor public transport service, recently the number of private cars is getting increased. In February 2015 Tbilisi authorities made a decision to abolish the parking on 210 pavements /sidewalks/ on the base of reports of anxious pedestrians about the pavement appropriation and evacuation of cars by City Park.

On the meeting where the discussion had been held about the abolishment of 2012 parking places was said that on the pavements which width is less than 3 meters, auto-car parking would be prohibited and tender would be announced to attract the investor companies, which would construct the multistory parking spaces in underground and on above-ground places. Two years have passed since this statement though parking system in Tbilisi has become a constant problem and all the efforts to change it looks like walking over bewitched circle / turning as a squirrel in a wheel/ from where nobody believes to come out with.

In the city where the number of cars exceeds over 400 000 the parking places is available only for 10 %, for others it is can be available by being the first to come and park; but it depends on the will of a man directing a car-parking system /unauthorized parking regulator-so called stainchik/. In August 2015, during the official visit of Mayer David Narmania in Israel, Tbilisi City Hall issued a statement made by Mayer, where he admitted the damages done to the city by the company to be reimbursed and the contract with “City Park” should be revised. Mayer’s office offered “City Park” to make some amendments- one of the paragraphs regards to share budget revenues equally from parking system and alter a rule regarding a car evacuation.

Recently talks among authorities, experts and society go about a one-sided treaty with “City Park” that to be annul, it will cost about 20-25 millions of GEL. In case to annul the treaty with “City Park” and establish effective Parking Service, Tbilisi City Hall can freely perform offered liabilities according to a treaty, as Sum received in the form of a single payment is 20 millions GEL. if not considering the possibility of introduction additional revenue. Today in the terms of existing parking system Tbilisi is losing millions of GEL that could be spend in road and parking infrastructure arrangement as it does happen in Batumi and Kutaisi.

One of the biggest disadvantages of Tbilisi Parking system is that any car is offered to park anywhere without limit, even in the most overloaded and narrow streets. A car owner can park a car anywhere in parking place in Tbilisi limitless. The abovementioned fact causes wasting the misery resource of city road and leads to an inefficient use. It should be noted, that cost of road maintenance we –citizens do pay in form of taxes to the budget and consequently the free parking system does not exist; it is financed even by those citizens who do not possess a car. Such system is a source of conflicts between car-drivers and local residents, traffic jams in the central part of the city and the air quality deterioration as well. The first step that should be done immediately is to create different parking zones in Tbilisi.

In those places where employees, business offices, educational centers have high concentration place, all the cities try to operate different kinds of parking system, that foresees making an hourly-taxing system on the parking places and flow of private cars will be restricted in certain period of time. In different parts of Tbilisi where various kinds of managing and taxing rules are to be made, parking zones should be created. Fixed parking fee is determinant, while a driver is making a choice where to park.

Hence, on those streets where parking demand exceeds 60%, hourly taxing system is required. If it does exceed over 90 % then a higher fee should be fixed. An excellent example of it is Sofia, Warsaw, where after having done the reorganization of parking rules and creating an infrastructure, installed a Parking meter reduces traffic jams with 30 % and improved traffic movement. It is necessary to set a higher rate of fee for parking a car on an utterly demanded place, in the streets or during a rush hour, than in the multi-storey parking space.

Local inhabitants, drivers did look on this initiative skeptically, though within a short period of time a new space is to appear in the city streets, parking is to become very comfortable and the facts related to sidewalks appropriation is to suspend. Creation of a parking system based upon a high demand will give extra incomes the city that can be put into public transport development and streets arrangement. With the calculation of international experts- arrangement of 1 km paid parking revenues will give an opportunity to make sidewalks for pedestrians on the mentioned territory and cover the expenses of several bus services.

The transparency of reform process in the mentioned city, spreading news on time and considering the interest of local citizens has made the process less painful. It is necessary to create new parking infrastructure along with parking zones and to introduce “park and ride” system in Tbilisi. Though a multi-storey over-ground and underground parking spaces in a central part of the city requires survey, as it might become a source of a new traffic flow in this part of Tbilisi.

It is very important that parking policy to endorse development of pedestrian, cycling and public transport infrastructure and reduces the demand on private cars. The parking policy will be more effective when it takes care for the regulation of new flow of cars in a central and old part of the city. One of these interesting systems is “Park and Ride” system – which means that drivers riding on the overload streets from different parts of the city can leave their cars in specially arranged parking places. They leave their cars near transit terminals, metros, auto-stations and keep on riding by public means of transport. This system works pretty successfully in many cities, where parking fee includes bus riding fee.

The main point is frequent and precise schedule of transport- like buses, metro to cover the large part of the city and to serve the passengers very comfortably. Perhaps Tbilisi City hall- (Mayor) will carry out a pilot project and part of the new buses are to use for piloting. Today it is evident for everyone that without introducing parking infrastructure, new rules and modern regulatory legislation, it will be impossible to move ( ride) in Tbilisi as well for citizens riding on buses as for pedestrians to walk safely and to keep the walking space.