Dutch Buses – a Failure of Early Opened Election Campaign?!

              Dutch Buses – a Failure of Early Opened Election Campaign?!

Three months ago, when local government brought Dutch buses with funfair in Telavi, people started to think that government had begun to care about people. The local government insisted that the cheap transport fare would facilitate the conditions of poor population in Telavi region. Petre Tsiskarishvili, Representative of President to Kakheti Region stated that Dutch buses with twenty-tetri-fare would serve other Kakhetian districts as well. Though, the pleasure of cheap transportation turned out to be short for Telavi dwellers. Later, the Telavi region authority reduced the number of buses in two.

Dissatisfied Telavi dwellers blame the authority for indifferent attitude towards the people and declare that the government does not create even living conditions for their people. “Government does everything to promote itself. When buses ran once an hour, it was a great relief for many people, but now we still have to move by expensive transport means. Otherwise, we have to wait for a cheap bus for hours. The government gave up thinking about the people.” – says Maia Gotsiridze.

According to Eter Mamukelashvili, a Telavi dweller, population does not believe in the government any more. “Population lives below the poverty. The buses were particularly used by the poorest population. Most of them are old people. The cheap transport was real relief for these people, but they have taken away even this chance from them.  Waiting for the bus for several hours in the heat of summer, is really impossible for them. The government has done its best to make people lose belief in them.”-declares E. Mamukelashvili.

Most of Telavi dwellers consider that, government always pretends to do something. According to Maia Gotsiridze, “Government, a master of show, has severed from the people very much.”

“These buses are for poor people. Those who are rich, move by cars or taxis. We thought the government had brought the buses for us, but it turned out that they have done it for themselves and everything was ostentatious...” says Giorgi Kevkhishvili.

Local opposition parties have their views concerning Dutch buses. Telavi regional organization of “Conservators” declares that, delivery of the buses was the part of early opened election campaign by the local authority, which failed.
“The introduction of the buses was the part of election campaign. The government hurried to open campaign and that led them to failure. They delivered buses too early. It is their first failure; a bit later they will not have even those half routs. The government can not keep these buses.”-declares Vano Galakhvaridze, head of Telavi Regional Oganization of “Conservator” party.

The views of the local conservators are partly confirmed at Telavi Administration Board and they declare that the government can not keep above-mentioned buses, the reducing of rout mini buses is the result of passengers’ reduced number, though they assure that the routs will be renewed from Autumn. “Together with the end of school term the number of passengers was reduced. Being on state donation, the buses overdrew the income. That is why, the itinerary was shortened...”- declares Davit Grishikashvili, head of Public Services and Amenities Department at Telavi Regional Administration.

The announcements, made by opposition, are called nonsense by the local Nationals and they say that, “the buses would start their work from September and additional buses would be brought in Telavi as well...”

                                                                            Veriko Kobiashvili, Telavi.