TRANSPORT IN GEORGIA: PROBLEMS FACE POTI-KAVKAZ FERRY SERVICE
source: The Messenger
Railway Market Magazine, Poland
Nov 30 2006
General Director of Georgian Railway Ltd., Irakli Ezugbaia, says that
discussion of the renewal of the ferry service renewal Poti in Georgia
and Russia’s Port of Kavkaz has not been placed on the agenda yet.
He denied information released by the North Caucasus Railway press
department, which claimed rehabilitation of the ferry was moving at
an accelerated pace, and that the service will resume by February 2007.
"Kavkaz Port reconstruction has not been completed yet, therefore,
it is impossible to begin ferry transportation," said Ezugbaia,
reports the newspaper Akhali Versia.
According to him, renewal of the ferry service faces additional
problems as well. For example ferry transportation is not very
profitable because the ferry consists of only a few decks and
cannot carry large loads. The Poti-Kavkaz ferry is the only way
to transport railroad cars from Russia to Armenia via Georgia. The
transportation costs often exceed the amount of the income received
for their transportation.
Russia cut transport links with Georgia in October and so the route
will be changed to add the Turkish port Samsun. This has means that
cargo that would have been transported directly from Kavkaz to Poti
port will now first have to go through Samsun and then on to Poti.
This route will be more expensive for Armenia.