New parking system launched in Tbilisi

From January 2009 drivers in Tbilisi will be subject to a new parking system. On December 12 Georgian Company CT Park presented first parking meter in Tbilisi and installed it on Vazha-Pshavela Avenue.

“Today we installed the first parking meter, and 10 more will be installed in the near future,” Irakli Jibladze, a representative of CT Park, told The Messenger on December 12. According to Jibladze there are now three new methods - sketch cards, mobile cards and parking meters - of paying for parking and he hopes this new parking system will be easy to use and convenient for Georgian drivers.

CT Park is a Georgian company which won a tender announced by City Hall in 2007 which gave it the right to manage parking facilities for 15 years in Tbilisi. At present the company owns 5,000 parking places in Tbilisi and will increase this number to 10,000 over the next 5 years.

On December 12, CT Park also presented the parking inspectors who will monitor the parking places. If drivers do not follow the parking rules fines will be issued by the inspectors.

According to company representatives, from December until January they will institute a pilot programme which will help Georgian drivers get used to this new system of parking and the new payment methods.