Opposition politician says Tbilisi transport fares may rise in first half of year

Opposition politician Roman Gotsiridze on Friday said public transport fares in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi could increase in the first half of the year, citing rising operational costs.

Speaking to Front News, Gotsiridze said municipal authorities may be forced to revise the city budget as current tariffs no longer cover expenses due to higher electricity, fuel and other costs.

He noted that maintaining current fares for metro, buses and cable cars requires annual subsidies of around ₾270 million ($100.58mln) from the budget, covering the gap between actual costs and passenger fares.

According to Gotsiridze, the Tbilisi metro is the most expensive system to maintain, with annual subsidies of about ₾100 million ($37.25mln), while the real cost of a single trip exceeds ₾2 compared to the standard fare of ₾1.

He added that transport-related expenses are rising by approximately ₾30 million ($11.18mln), including around ₾20 million ($7.45mln) spent annually on metro electricity and ₾90 million ($33.53mln) on bus fuel.

Gotsiridze said the Government faces a choice between increasing fares or expanding subsidies, both of which would ultimately impact public finances and household incomes.