Bread producers say growing fines on delivery vehicles are putting heavy financial pressure on the sector and indirectly pushing bread prices upward.
Malkhaz Dolidze, head of the Bread Bakers’ Association, stated that companies are now facing tens of thousands of GEL in penalties simply for stopping long enough to unload goods in restricted areas.
Dolidze explains that delivering bread, classified as a primary consumption product, has become increasingly difficult in Tbilisi due to strict rules on parking and movement in yellow-line zones. Some bakeries are already burdened with large debts: one owes GEL 25,000 in fines, another GEL 27,000. He argues that these costs inevitably feed into production expenses and eventually reach consumers. The Association is urging the Mayor’s Office and City Council to reconsider the rules.
The timing of deliveries adds further strain. Tbilisi consumes about 400 tons of bread per day, and most stores request shipments between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. With nighttime delivery largely phased out, previously accounting for around 30% of distribution, morning congestion leaves drivers with few options that avoid violations. Dolidze says stores no longer have night-shift staff to receive goods, forcing all deliveries into the busiest hours of the day.
Bread prices rose by roughly 10 tetri in November and industry representatives link part of this increase to the mounting fines and rising operational costs. Producers are calling on local authorities to create more workable delivery conditions, warning that without adjustments, the financial pressure will continue to affect prices.
