Georgia's transit corridor toll is higher per kilometer

2026-04-01

The toll for road use in Georgia is disproportionately high compared to the countries of the Eurozone and the region, - the "Transport Corridor Research Center" writes about this in its publication.

According to them, in the Eurozone and most countries of the region, the toll for road use is diversified and depends on several factors.

Among them - the weight/number of axles of the vehicle, the road class, the noise level, emissions, the period of use of the toll road, that is, on how many days the vehicle will cover the transit section.

According to the Transport Corridor Research Center, such a classification does not exist in Georgia and, according to the study, the toll is unified.

Specifically, as TCRC writes, transit trucks pay a fixed fee of 350 GEL when crossing the territory of Georgia.

Georgia’s transit tax is the most expensive in the region - TCRC

“It is necessary to determine the average transit distance for Georgia.

In particular, let’s average the distances of the main transit corridors:

Sarpi – Larsi – 499 km,

Poti – Larsi – 450 km,

Sarpi – Sadakhlo – 433 km,

Poti – Sadakhlo – 404 km,

Sarpi – Tsetili Khidi – 436 km,

Poti – Tsetili Khidi – 387 km,

Larsi – Sadakhlo – 240 km.

 

The average distance of Georgia’s transit sections is 407 km.

If we divide the toll amount, 350 GEL, by the average transit distance – 407 km, we get the average distance of Georgia’s freight transport by road The amount paid per kilometer of the transit corridor of the territory, which is 86 tetri, which is equal to 28 euro cents per kilometer,” the study reads.

The TCRC writes that the toll rate per kilometer, if we do not take into account Switzerland and Austria, significantly exceeds the toll rates imposed on toll roads in both the Eurozone and the countries of the region.

The study also provides examples of toll rates in several countries, according to which, as of 2026, the average cost of a five-axle Euro 6 truck in the European Union for 1 km. is currently 22 euro cents.

“EURO 6 vehicles are subject to additional charges due to air pollution.

The amount of the charge is affected by the period: due to the noise restriction regulation at night, higher rates apply on some sections.

In Austria, the charge for EURO 6 vehicles is 53 euro cents per kilometer.

In Belgium, three different road tariffs apply for three regions (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels).

The EETS system automatically applies a tariff when a vehicle moves from one region to another. The average tariff for a EURO 6 vehicle is 26 euro cents for all three regions,” the publication reads.

TCRC also writes about the tolls for the use of roads in Georgia’s three neighboring countries – Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan:

“The length of toll roads in Russia is 2,800 km. The most popular is the M-4 Don – Moscow – Sochi route, where there are 17 sections (1,298 km) of tolls – the total toll is 5,800 rubles, which is equivalent to 8 euro cents per kilometer.

The second most popular is the M-11 “Neva” – Moscow – St. Petersburg route, which is 699 km long, with a toll of 4,850 rubles, which is equivalent to 10 euro cents per kilometer.

The tolls on other toll roads in Russia are high, so the weighted average toll for freight transport is 13 euro cents per kilometer.

Azerbaijan – toll roads are less developed; currently only Baku – Guba is in operation – A 150 km long toll road connecting with Russia. Trucks pay 14.14 euros on this section, which is equivalent to 10 euro cents per kilometer.

Turkey – In addition to expressway toll roads, toll bridges also operate. One of the most popular routes is the 480 km Istanbul-Izmir section, the cost of which, including the Istanbul Bridge, is 3,400 liras, or 15 euro cents per kilometer.

On the territory of Georgia, the 350-GEL road toll for transit trucks, according to the research center, is equivalent to 28 euro cents per kilometer, which is significantly higher than the tolls charged on toll roads in both the Eurozone and the countries of the region.

The road toll system in force in Georgia The fee is set without any basis for economic calculation. In addition, it is inflexible - it does not take into account the environmental condition of the freight vehicle, is not diversified according to the vehicle weight norm, road category and transit distance, which puts carriers in an unfair position.

In this regard, it is advisable to introduce the electronic E-vignette (how much you drive - you pay) system, widely tested in Europe,” TCRC writes.

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