What is happening in Guria beyond the railway?

What problems are faced by Guria residents settlement of which is within the competence of Municipal Council? – For settling petition issues Guria residents gathered at the Democratic Engagement Center.
Within the frame of the Institute of Democracy project “Petition – People’s Voice in Self-Governance” the meeting was organized by the Institute of Democracy Partner Non-Governmental Organization “Guria Youth Resource Center”.
After Project Presentation, the discussion started with talking on infrastructural problems. “The city is divided into two; life differs between two sides of the railway. Infrastructure is arranged only in one part” – noted one of the meeting participant.
Solid waste also represents a serious problem, a large part of which are flown into the river.
As it was cleared out at the meeting, one part of the residents of one and the same street belongs to one street, whereas the second to another.
One of the streets having three different names also became a subject of ridicule.
The issue of absence of General Plan for the development of the city and recreational zone was also followed by hot discussion.
The system of parking also fell among the list of problems. The issue of imposing reasonable tariffs was also raised. One of the meeting participant Guria resident names an example of Kutaisi and considered the set fee to be unreasonable: “Parking for an hour cost 5 Gel, the fine – 10 Gel, so there was no idea buying a parking ticket”.
The discussion was finished by identifying the problems existing in sewage and water supply system.
Meeting participants agreed that the result would be achieved only through an active civic engagement. Guria residents expressed readiness to prepare joint petitions for the problems of common actually for city and village residents.
The Institute of Democracy with partner Organizations, in 20 municipalities of project target three regions of Western Georgia (Ajara, Guria, Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti) with the support of USAID continues presenting the petitions and working on settling the issues existing within the municipality through civic engagement.