Tbilisi plans to introduce so-called yellow boxes—criss-cross grid road markings (often referred to as box junctions). Mayor Kakha Kaladze has instructed the Transport and Urban Development Agency to review the initiative in coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
A yellow box is a designated marked area at an intersection that drivers are prohibited from entering unless their exit is clear, preventing motorists from becoming stranded in the middle of the junction and blocking cross traffic.
Similar markings are widely used in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Their primary goal is to alleviate congestion at heavily burdened intersections and prevent opposing traffic flows from gridlocking one another.
According to Kaladze, this issue is particularly acute in Tbilisi: drivers often enter an intersection on a green light, get stuck without room to proceed, and block traffic travelling in perpendicular lanes. The mayor noted that such incidents occur daily, frequently triggering a chain reaction that paralyzes adjacent intersections.
“Even on a green signal, a driver should not enter an intersection if there is a risk they will come to a halt and obstruct traffic flow. However, managing this process and enforcing compliance in practice is exceptionally difficult,” Kaladze stated.
According to the mayor, up to 900,000 vehicles circulate across Tbilisi during peak hours.
“Roughly speaking, prior to 2012, this figure stood at around 180,000 private vehicles, whereas today up to 900,000 cars are on the roads during rush hours, presenting a colossal problem and a major challenge,” Kaladze pointed out.
City Hall has not yet specified which Tbilisi intersections will receive the yellow box markings, nor has it provided a timeline for the rollout.