The Vice-Mayor of Tbilisi, Irakli Khmaladze, along with the Head of Transport and Urban Development Agency, Victor Tsilosan, is in London on December 7, 2023, on a working visit to learn from the city’s experience in transport and urban planning.
On Tuesday, the Tbilisi delegation met with London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, Jules Pipe. The meeting focused on the challenges and opportunities of urban development, transport reform, and municipal service delivery in both cities.
Khmaladze and Tsilosan also visited the Transport for London (TfL) headquarters, where they were briefed on transport flow management, traffic control, and congestion charging systems in London.
They also discussed the benefits and drawbacks of implementing transport fee zones, which are areas where drivers have to pay a daily charge for entering or moving within.
In addition, the meeting focuses on London’s advanced experience in developing municipal services and transport flow management. The sides also discussed the basis and consequences of implementing transport fee zones in London.
The Tbilisi Vice-Mayor said the visit was very informative and productive and hoped to apply some of the best practices from London to Tbilisi’s transport and urban development policies.
“We are very impressed by London’s achievements in creating a sustainable, efficient, and inclusive transport system and urban environment. We have learned a lot from their experience and are eager to cooperate with them in the future,” Khmaladze said.
The visit is part of the Tbilisi City Hall’s efforts to improve the public transport network and the urban planning process in the Georgian capital.
The City Hall has recently introduced a new three-level transport network, which aims to reduce the waiting time for public transport to 4 minutes on average. It has also announced plans to arrange bus lanes and restrict traffic on select streets during the holiday season.
