Passenger transportation services by taxi (category M1) within municipalities have been added to the state list of permitted activities in Georgia. Compulsory licenses for taxis in Georgia may appear as early as July 1, 2025.
According to the explanatory note to the bill, one of the main problems in regulating domestic passenger transport is the unfavorable situation at bus stations and illegal transport carried out by unregistered persons, the so-called “predators”, who often offer their services in minivan-type transport, bypassing official bus stations.
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Currently, in 34 of the 63 municipalities the average number of taxis is 40 units, in 18 municipalities - 100 units, in 4 municipalities - 200 units and in 7 municipalities - more than 400 units.
In accordance with the bill, the organization and control of the transportation of passengers by taxi in municipalities will be entrusted to the mayor, a structural unit under the mayor's office or a legal entity separately created by the municipality. The authority to issue taxi licenses in Georgia will be granted to the mayor or an authorized structural unit of the mayor's office.
A license for a taxi in Georgia will be issued for a period of at least one year
In accordance with the Law of Georgia “On Road Transport”, a license for a taxi in Georgia will be issued for a period of at least one year. The City Council will have the power to set license expiration dates.
Violation of taxi license conditions - fine of 100 GEL
Illegal provision of taxi services will entail a fine of 200 GEL, and violation of license conditions will result in a fine of 100 GEL. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will monitor compliance with licensing requirements.
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If the bill is passed local municipalities of Georgia (except for Tbilisi), a period of until June 1, 2025 will be given to enter information about license holders into a unified taxi database in Georgia, the rules for the creation, updating and processing of which will be approved by the Government of Georgia before January 1, 2025.
A taxi license in Georgia will cost 100 lari
The fee for obtaining a license for one year is likely to be 100 GEL. These funds will be credited to the municipal budget. According to the authors of the bill, the total income from licenses in the first year of introduction will be 488 thousand lari, and in the period from 2025 to 2033 - approximately 4,392,000 lari. Administrative costs associated with the implementation of the system by 2025 are estimated at GEL 1,378,598.
