According to a government decree, starting April 1, the import, initial registration, and temporary registration of M1 category vehicles older than six years will be prohibited in Georgia.
According to the First Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the older the vehicle, the older its engine becomes, and consequently, its emissions increase — this is a confirmed fact. The Euro 5 standard applies to vehicles up to 10 years old; after 10 years, the engine ages to such an extent that emissions increase regardless of how well the vehicle is maintained. For this reason, the restriction was introduced based on vehicle age. The limitation does not apply to electric vehicles.
“We are seeing an annual 25% increase in vehicle imports in the country, while the share of hybrid vehicles is not growing. The proportion of diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles is increasing. This growing trend must be reduced, which ultimately should have a positive impact on air quality.
The vehicle fleet will gradually be renewed; this renewal, in turn, will reduce emissions and ultimately lead to certain improvements.
Our ultimate goal is, on the one hand, to ensure mobility within our cities and living environment — because if we continue adding vehicles without limits, at some point movement will become physically impossible — and, on the other hand, to improve air quality,” stated Nino Tandilashvili.
