Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori
Shida Kartli local government started to break the pre-election promises of the Georgian president long ago. For example, transportation fee was increased. Although acting regional governor Lado Vardzelashvili claims that he is aware about the problems of the region, he has poor information about the transportation problems village residents have in Shida Kartli.
Eight buses were distributed in the villages in December of 2007. The changes damaged the drivers of mini-buses which ran in several villages for 1, 5 GEL as a fee because people pay 1 lari for a bus now and fifty tetri in the villages where minibuses ran for 1 lari.
The situation caused discontent and protest of mini-bus drivers. For example, drivers of the mini-buses running in the village of Skra in Gori District beat the driver of the bus.; since the incident local residents have not seen yellow bus in their village.
On January 22 2008 Khatuna Baliashvili, journalist for the municipality newspaper “Lomchabuki” asked former regional governor Lado Gegelashvili about the incident in Skra. (The journalist is resident of the village of Skra).
Khatuna Baliashvili: “Drivers have had serious row in the village for several days already. I pay 50 tetri for the bus to Gori, but today I paid 80 tetri for the mini-bus. I wonder why yellow buses do not run in Skra any more. Villagers are very dissatisfied about the transportation.
Former regional governor requested non-governmental organizations and media sources to publish the information and provide governmental bodies with the information.
Lado Gegelashvili could not study the case to the end because a new governor was sent to Shida Kartli.
Since Vardzelashvili was appointed as a regional governor, the transportation fees on buses increased in several villages, but in some villages buses were canceled at all. For example yellow buses do not run in Skra. Residents of the village of Kvakhvreli in the Gori District now pay 80 tetri instead of previous 60 tetri to get to Gori.
Marika Siranashvili, a resident of Kvakhvreli: “Before yellow buses appeared in our village former governor Gegelashvili promised us that the fee would be 60 tetri; but as soon as yellow buses started running in the village they increased the fee up to 70 tetri; but now we have to pay 80 tetri already. The price was increased after the presidential elections finished.”
A bus driver stated in his conversation with the Human Rights Center that it was inevitable to increase the fee.
“The director of the auto-park (enterprise for region transportation) stated to us that we have to buy fuel for the bus ourselves. Besides that we have to pay 30 GEL a day to the enterprise though previously we had to pay only 5 GEL. The drivers have faced so many problems that we cannot serve people for 60-70 tetri on such a long distance,” said the driver.
The officials from the Gori Municipality state that the information about the increased price is false. Kakha Toliashvili, the head of the Administration of the Municipality Board, stated that drivers have increased the fees deliberately. “You might be mistaken or somebody has deceived you,” said he.
The Human Rights Center checked the information and found out that people pay 80 tetri for transportation instead of estimated 60 tetri. The drivers have removed the list of prices from their buses.
As we have found out yellow buses are not registered at any institution in Gori. They still belong to Tbilisi City Hall. Tbilisi Mayor, Gigi Ugulava might have lent the buses to Shida Kartli Regional Government and might take them back soon.
Gigi Ugulava transferred eight Dutch buses to Gori in November of 2007. That time Gori District Governor, Zviad Khmaladze stated that the owners of the new buses would be decided in near future.
Reportedly “Gori-Avtotrans Ltd” has received the buses. The Ltd was established in December of 2004 when former district governor Soso Mumladze brought eight larger buses from the Netherlands. The “Gori-Avtotrans” was run by Tamaz Svianadze, a relative of Irakli Okruashvili, former Defense Minister of Georgia. Currently, Tamaz Svianadze is not director of the Ltd because Okruashvili, his protector, was initially arrested by Georgian law enforcers and now he seeks political asylum in France.
The Human Rights Centre found out that local government utilizes the yellow buses illegally. More precisely, Gori Municipality Board assigned the buses to the “Goriavtotrans Ltd” without asking permission from Tbilisi City Hall. Besides that the municipality board announced competition for drivers and apportioned funds for the purpose.
On November 15 2007 Gori Municipality Board requested Jondo Nanetashvili, director of the local TV Company “Trialeti” to draw up a contract with the Municipality to make TV announcements on the drivers’ competition. The TV Station signed the contract on making TV announcement for 532 GEL since November 1 to November 30 2007.
The contract was signed on November 15 2007. The contract states that applicants should send documents after November 1. First of all it is vague why the Gori Municipality Board signed the contract instead of the Tbilisi City Hall, the real owner of the vehicles. And the second-why the Gori Municipality Board apportioned funds to the TV Company “Trialeti” from local budget.
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