Tbilisi: The Department of Environment Supervision of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture has imposed heavy penalties for pollution-emitting vehicles.
The department started the drive in four big cities of Georgia on September 4, 2023. The four main cities are the capital, Tbilisi, Rustavi, Kutaisi, and Batumi.
According to department data from September 4, 2023 Â when the anti-pollution drive was started to October 4, 2024, 7610 legal entities and individuals were fined by the department’s mobile crews. They were fined for non-compliance with the established norm of vehicle emissions.
It is to be added that the majority of 3694 violations were recorded in Tbilisi, 1449 in Kutaisi, 1302 in Batumi  and 1165 in the city of Rustavi. Moreover, out of 7610 offenders fined by the Department of Environmental Supervision employees 6629 were individuals and 981 legal entities.
The department has issued 4706 penalty receipts, including 2597 for minibus drivers, 298 for truck drivers and 9 for bus drivers. Notably for non-compliance with the norms established by the vehicle emission legislation, an individual’s fine is 100 GEL for the first time and 300 and 600 GEL for the second and third time.
For a legal entity  the amount of fine is 500, 1500 and 3000 GEL for first, second and third-time violations. If the fine is paid within ten days it will be reduced by 20%. Citizens can check fines on the Department of Environmental Supervision website. They can also pay the fine through the Ministry of Internal Affairs website.
According to department officials the improvement of air quality is a top priority. To prevent pollution from enterprises, a system of continuous self-monitoring of releasing harmful substances into the air was introduced.
Simultaneously, the Department of Environmental Supervision conducts regular checks on fuel quality at gas stations. This proactive approach aims to minimize the consumption of unconditioned fuel, which in turn significantly reduced the emission of harmful substances into the air.
The department official said the drive will be streamlined in future.
